Skip to main content

Full text of "The Improvement Era"

See other formats 


&;:  |:jg&  T:;  ■ 


........       ..  . 


.";■;.  :';:;.':. 


■  ■  ■    ■■.■:  ■■..'■     :  ■ ;  ■■'■  ■■■■■■  ■■  .■  ■■■      :■  *  Wwl. 


fit  SB  W  Wt  M  %  % 


MARCH,  1944 


RETURN      POSTAGE      GUARANTEED 
SALT      LAKE     CITY      1  .     UTAH 


ly.iK'^TT.'y.  *r*' 


".  • .  and  I  dreamed  that  dinner  came  floating  in 

without  my  moving  a  finger .  •  • 


Isn't  it  fun  to  dream  about  a  house  where  most  of  the  dreary 
work  is  done  by  magic? 

Well,  keep  on  dreaming  .  ,  ,  for  tomorrow  many  of  your  wishes 
are  coming  true! 

You'll  have  a  Certified  Performance  Gas  range  so  wonderful  it 
will  be  like  having  a  chef  in  the  kitchen  ...  a  Gas  refrigerator  that 
keeps  foods  fresh  so  long  it  will  save  hours  of  marketing  and  meal 
preparation  ...  a  heating  unit  that  cools  your  home  as  well  as  heats 
it  —  without  a  thought  from  you  .  .  .  and  oceans  of  hot  water  to 
make  everything  easier ! 

All  this,  and  more  too,  will  be  possible  through  the  miracle  of 
the  blue  Gas  flame— the  flame  that  cools  as  well  as  heats! 
In  the  laboratories  of  the  Gas  industry,  engineers  are  now  developing  these  wonders  .  .  . 
making  them  possible  for  every  type  of  home. 

Today  Gas  speeds  war  production.  Use  it  wisely.  But  tomorrow  it  will 
make  your  dream  of  more  comfortable,  economical  living  a  reality.  It's  a 
dream  worth  saving  for — with  every  War  Bond  you  can  buy. 

THE  FLAME  THAT  WILL  BRIGHTEN  YOUR  FUTURE... 

MOUNTAIN    FUEL    SUPPLY    COMPANY 

Sales  offices  in  Salt  Laka  City,  Ogden  and  Provo 


99 


SERVING      TWENTY-THREE      UTAH       COMMUNITIES 


WAR     AND     PEACE 


ARE      YOU      BUYING      ALL      THE      WAR      BONDS      YOU      CAN? 


vJ^lPROPHECY 


vSu   ZDr.   Charles  C*.    -Dibble 


The  Aztec  codices  and  histories 
written  shortly  after  the  Conquest 
agree  that  the  Indian  leaders  had 
been  oriented  years  previously  to  im- 
pending disaster  and  misfortune.  Proph- 
ecies by  the  wise,  natural  phenomena, 
and  misfortune  in  military  conquest 
combined  to  alarm  the  leaders  and  leave 
them  filled  with  anxiety  and  fearful  an- 
ticipation. 

In  the  year  5  Rabbit  { 1510) ,  Monte- 
zuma, ruler  of  Mexico,  witnessed  the 
appearance  of  a  light  in  the  heavens. 
Since  his  astrologers  and  magicians 
were  unable  to  quiet  his  fears  and  pre- 
monitions, he  decided  to  consult  the 
learned  Nezahualpilli,  ruler  of  Texcoco. 
Nezahualpilli  replied  to  the  ruler  of 
Mexico: 

Oh,  powerful  and  great  lord,  I  desire  not 
to  disturb  your  peaceful,  quiet  and  generous 
spirit,  but  my  obligation  as  servant  (lesser 
ruler)  forces  me  to  inform  you  of  a  strange 
and  marvelous  happening,  which,  with  the 
permission  and  consent  of  the  Lord  of  the 
heavens,  the  night,  the  day,  and  the  air,  will 
occur  during  your  days.  You  should  be 
informed  and  forewarned  with  much  care, 
for  I  am  able  to  say  with  certainty  that  a 
fews  years  from  now  our  cities  will  be 
destroyed  and  laid  waste;  we,  our  children, 
and  our  servants  will  be  vanquished  and 
destroyed.  .  .  .  But  one  thing  consoles  me 
considerably:  I  will  not  witness  these 
calamities  and  afflictions  for  my  days  are 
few.  I  wanted  to  tell  you  this  before  I  die, 
so  I  leave  you  this  counsel  as  I  would  to 
my  own  beloved  son. 

As  the  years  passed,  the  ill  omens  and 
natural  manifestations  multiplied.  In 
the  year  1 1  Flint  Knife  ( 1516) ,  a  comet 
appeared  in  the  heavens.  To  the  people 
of  the  valley  of  Mexico  comets  were 
the  sign  of  the  death  of  a  king,  or  im- 
pending hunger,  pestilence  and  war. 

True,  many  of  these  happenings  may 
have  been  given  significance  after  the 
fateful  conquest.  However,  the  Aztecs 
were  sufficiently  apprehensive  of  a  com- 
ing disaster  to  send  Cortez  the  gold 
mask  of  the  god  Quetzalcoatl,  for 
Quetzalcoatl  was  to  destroy  the  empire 
of  Montezuma  and  establish  his  own 
rule. 

MONTEZUMA  VIEWS  THE  COMET  OF  1516 


What  A  Difference! 


-—Because  only  Honey Bees  are 
made:  with  genuine  Chtiaparral 
,  honey..  „'  \ ,       A 

They're  Fresher! 

—Because  Honey  Bees 
are  made  in  the  only 
cracker  factory  between 
Denver  and  the  Pacific 
:vCoast. :.'.;.; 


i_^-  "'"■■■■■'  ■    ■ 


%*4 


W* 


GRAHAMSbyPURITY 


VICTORY  GARDENING 


Mmm/tv 


BON HAM 
CULTIVATOR 

Every  victory  gardener  needs  one  .  . .  saves  two-thirds 
to  four-fifths  of  the  time  required  for  cultivating  with  a 
hand  hoe  .  .  .  and  does  It  better.  Ideal  for  Individual  or 
group  projects. 


ORDER  NOW 

Production 
Limited  by  P.W.B. 


Extremely  versatile  with  interchangeable  tools  as  standard 
equipment:  5-prong  weeder,  turn  plow,  and  10-inch  sweep.  Other 
tools  on  request  at  small  extra  cost. 

Strongly  made  with  wheel  frame,  tool  bar,  and  shank  of  elec- 
trically welded  all-steel  construction;  reinforced  steel  and  hardwood 
handles;  steel  bushing  for  long-wearing  hub. 

For  victory  gardening,  BUT  NOT  A  "VICTORY  MODEL"... 
it's  made  to  .last  for  years. 


THE    BONHAM   CO. 

C/l^    222  West  17th  South  St.  Salt  Lake  City  4,  Utah 


Please  send   New  Model  C  Cultivator. 
□  Send  C.  O.  D.  (or) 

rj  $ check  or  money   order  enclosed. 

LJ  Information 

NAME - 


ADDRESS. 


ORDER  DIRECT  FROM 
THE  MANUFACTURER 
OR  ASK  YOUR 
HARDWARE  OR 
NURSERY  DEALER 
Money     Back     Guarantee 


MARCH,  1944 


129 


L^kurch  of 

the  ^Xt> 


to  be  heard  April  9th 
from  Salt  Lake  City. 

ON  Sunday,  April 
9,  the  Columbia 
Broadcasting  System's 
Church  of  the  Air, 
11:00  to  11:30  a.m., 
Mountain  War  Time, 
will  originate  with  Ra- 
dio Station  KSL  in  the 
tabernacle,  on  Temple 
Square,  Salt  Lake  City, 
as  part  of  the  proceed- 
ings of  the  general  con- 
ference of  the  church. 
Speaker  and  other  de- 
tails will  be  announced 
later.  The  Church  of 
the  Air  is  heard  over 
CBS  stations  from 
coast-to-coast. 

* 


Jhe   L^c 


over 


THE  lighthouse  be- 
comes a  guide  to 
warn  against  treacher- 
ous shoals  and  hidden 
reefs,  to  direct  the  ship 
to  safe  harbor.  To  a 
world  striving  to  make 
port,  the  lighthouse  be- 
comes a  symbol  of 
peaceful  waters  and  of 
people  confidently 
traveling  their  courses, 
free  from  fear,  joyous- 
ly going  their  several 
ways,  securely  guided 
by  the  harbor  light- 
house. The  cover  is  a 
composite,  from  a 
photograph  by  Cour- 
sin  Black,  adapted  by 
Charles  Jacobsen. 


Editors 

Heber  J.  Grant 
John  A.  Widtsoe 

Managing  Editor 

Richard  L.  Evans 

Associate  Editors 

Marba  C.  Josephson 
William  Mulder 

General  Manager 

George  Q.  Morris 

Associate  Manager 

Lucy  G.  Cannon 

Business  Manager 

John  K.  Orton 

National  Advertising 
Representatives 

Francis  M.  Mayo, 

Salt  Lake  City 
Edward  S.  Townsend, 

San  Francisco 
Dougan  and  Boile, 

Chicago  and 

New  York 

Member,  Audit  Bureau  of 
Circulations 


[^ j  W § 

Improvement  Era 

"  THE  GLORY  OF  GOD  IS  INTELLIGENCE  " 


"^r^gr'snvoE.''^. ^ **■  ^  x^'X'^r^t  W'^i^^'^'^'^^'^^'W^rw'w^w'^r^r-^er^. 


— affij.t^?.  il88  ■ 


^pr 


ifffl    iiffi  jfm  mm   iilBI   M  '"to  i 


*gm 


MARCH,  1944  VOLUME  47,  NO.  3 

"THE     VOICE     OF     THE    CHURCH" 

Official  Organ  of  the  Priesthood  Quorums,  Mutual  Improvement 

Associations,  Department  of  Education,  Music  Committee,  Ward 

Teachers,  and  Other  Agencies  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 

Latter-day  Saints 

-K 

Uhe  C^aitors  j-^aae 
Avoiding  the  Rapids Heber  J.  Grant  139 


L^hurch  ^reat 


eatured 

Church  Welfare — An  Opportunity ...Marion  G.  Romney  140 

Archaeological  Discoveries  Illumine  the  Bible 

Levi  Edgar  Young  144 

Evidences  and  Reconciliations;      LXXVT  —  What  is  the 

Meaning  of  Divine  Law? John  A,  Widtsoe  161 

Ward  Music  Guild...- 172 

Genealogy:  From  the  Isles  of 
the  Sea,  Mary  M.  Home..  173 
Above  the  Hills,  Ora  Pate 

Stewart  1 73 

Mutual  Messages:  Bee  Hive  in 
Wartime,   Lucy  T.   Ander- 
sen   _ 1 54 

Field  Photos 181 


These    My   People,    Ethel  T. 

Collyer  149 

The  Church  Moves  On 158 

Priesthood:  Melchizedek 168 

Seventy 1 44 

Temple  Priesthood  Project..l68 

No-Liquor-Tobacco   169 

Aaronic  170 

Ward  Teaching  171 


Special  *J~eatu,r>e5 

Eliza  R.  Snow's  "Sketch  of  My  Life" LeRoi  C.  Snow  142 

The  Consecration  Movement  of  the  Middle  Fifties — Part 

II,  Conclusion Feramorz  Y«  Fox  146 

Meet  Radar — War's  Magician Robert  M.  Hyatt  148 

The  Spoken  Word  from  Temple  Square....Richard  L*  Evans  150 

Pioneer  Diary  of  Eliza  R.  Snow — Part  XIII 152 

Bee  Hive  in  Wartime Lucy  T.  Andersen  154 

And  It  Came  to  Pass Lucy  G*  Bloomfield  174 


Aztec  Prophecy,  Charles  E. 
Dibble  _ 129 

Exploring  the  Universe,  Frank- 
lin S.  Harris,  Jr. 131 

Telef acts  1 32 

Benjamin  Franklin  on  Death....  133 

Old  Sing-Lively,  Alfred  I. 
Tooke  1 36 

The  Religious  Attitudes  of 
Noted  Men,  Leon  M.  Strong  138 

Books    156 


The  Tie  That  Binds,  Fred  W. 

Moeller  143 

Homing:      Rainy    Day    Fun, 

Katherine  Dissinger  162 

Handy  Hints 163 

Cook's  Corner,  Josephine  B. 

Nichols  164 

News  from  the  Camps 167 

Index  to  Advertisers 177 

Scriptural  Crossword  Puzzle....  186 
Your  Page  and  Ours 192 


C^dlto rials 


Conference  Notice 160 

A  Matter  of  Emphasis M.  C.  J.  160 

On  Being  Determined,  Quietly W.  M*  160 


Stories,  l^oetn 


1 


These  My  People Ethel  T.  Collyer  149 

Vigil Sadie  H.  Greenhalgh  157 

And  it  Came  to  Pass Lucy  G.  Bloomfield  174 

Faith  in  Spring,  Helen  Maring..l30  Frontispiece:     March,     Helen 

Poem,  A  Child  Sleeping,  Paul-  Baker  Adams 137 

ine  Chadwell 133  Poem,  Land,   Marcia   Nichols 

Poetry  Page 134,  135  Holden 180 


CIRCULATION      FOR      THIS      ISSUE:      90,000 


^jraith 


in 


ypnna 


By  Helen  Mating 

There  is  no  imper- 
manence  to  spring; 
It  is  reiterant  like  one 

grown  old 
Repeating  stories  that 

he  has  retold, 
Remembering     them 

keenly.  Like  the  ring 
Of  songs  re-echoed  by 

the  hills  of  light, 
Spring  morning  breaks, 

reverberant  from 

night. 
Spring  morning  shines 

with   beauty;    and 

God's  power 
Wakes     spring     from 

winter,  day  from 

night-time's  glower. 
Our  souls  keep  faith; 

and  in  our  hearts  a 

prayer 
Of    endless    gratitude 

knows  God  is  there. 


Executive  and  Editorial 
Offices: 

50  North  Main  Street, 
Salt  Lake  City  1,  Utah. 

Copyright  1944  by  Mu- 
tual Funds,  Inc.,  a  Cor- 
poration of  the  Young 
Men's  Mutual  Improve- 
ment Association  of  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints.  All 
rights  reserved.  Subscrip- 
tion price,  $2.00  a  year, 
in  advance;  20c  single 
copy. 

Entered  at  the  Post 
Office,  Salt  Lake  City, 
Utah,  as  second-class 
matter.  Acceptance  for 
mailing  at  special  rate  of 
postage  provided  for  in 
section  1 103,  Act  of  Oc- 
tober, 1917,  authorized 
July  2,  1918. 

The  Improvement  Era 
is  not  responsible  for  un- 
solicited manuscripts,  but 
welcomes  contributions. 

All  manuscripts  must  be 
accompanied     by     suffi- 
cient postage  for  delivery 
and  return. 


130 


THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


By  DR.  FRANKLIN  S.  HARRIS,  JR. 


'TPhe  extent  of  myopia,  or  short-sight- 
■*■  edness,  among  a  people  seems  to  be 
determined  more  by  race  and  heredity 
than  by  civilization.  Among  about 
fourteen  thousand  patients  at  the 
Greifswald  Clinic  in  Germany  almost 
fourteen  percent  had  myopia,  while 
with  a  similar  group  in  Denmark  only 
five  percent.  Over  half  of  the  Chinese 
students  in  China  have  myopia  or 
about  four  and  one-half  times  greater 
than  would  be  found  in  an  American 
college.  There  is  considerable  myopia 
among  Arabs  who  live  in  the  open  air 
and  do  no  close  work  whatever. 


p\uE  to  expansion  and  contraction,  a 
steel  bridge  one  thousand  feet  long 
will  change  about  half  a  foot  in  length 
between  winter  and  summer.  Similar 
expansion  and  contraction  of  a  lead 
roof  on  the  Bristol  cathedral  caused  it 
to  creep  down  eighteen  inches  in  two 
years  in  spite  of  all  efforts  to  fasten  it. 
In  the  daytime  the  lead  expanded,  and 
the  lower  side  moved  downhill.  At 
night  with  cooling,  the  roof  contracted, 
pulling  the  upper  part  downhill,  since 
that  was  easier  than  moving  uphill. 

> 

Oats  avoid  obstacles  in  the  dark  by 
*■*  hearing  the  echoes  of  the  high- 
pitched  sounds  they  utter  as  reflected 
from  the  obstacles.  Some  of  the  sounds 
are  two  octaves  above  the  human  pitch 
limit  of  hearing,  two  Harvard  Univer- 
sity biologists  have  found. 

4 

"RTfosQUiTOS  are  able  to  develop  from 
1V1  -eggS  to  adults  in  a  cupful  of  water 
collected  in  a  hoof  print  made  by  a  cow, 
if  the  water  remains  for  as  long  as  two 
weeks. 


Caturn  is  the  lightest  of  the  planets 
*^  and  would  float  on  water,  if  an 
ocean  large  enough  could  be  found  for 
the  experiment. 

4 

rP'HE  star  Nova  Aquilae  increased  to 
A     60,000  times  its  former  brightness 
in  a  few  hours,  and  then  faded  to  its 
former  faint  brightness. 

4 

/^itric  acid,  which  gives  most  of  the 
^  acidity  to  lemons,  cranberries,  and 
currants,  has  now  been  discovered  to 
be  up  to  one  percent  of  the  hard  ma- 
terial of  the  bones,  probably  as  a  cal- 
cium salt.  Citrates  are  of  service  to 
the  body  because  of  their  remarkable 
power  of  making  the  otherwise  insolu- 
ble bone  salts  soluble  in  water,  and  it  is 
now  known  that  these  bone  salts  are 
constantly  being  replaced.  Citrates  are 
formed  as  one  of  the  in-between  pro- 
(Concluded  on  page  132) 

MARCH,  1944 


Good 


^rf^ 


FAMILY  B 


V  u 


INSTANT  CDDKING 
Haked  WHOLE  WHEAT 

CEREAL 

Everyone  likes  its  wholly  new  flavor — 
its  appetizing  texture.  Mother  particu- 
larly appreciates  the  time-saving  IN- 
STANT COOKING  ZOOM  .  .  . 
father  finds  it  a  hearty  meal  to  start  the 
day  .  .  .  and  there's  no  coaxing  neces- 
sary to  get  the  children  to  eat  this  deli- 
cious hot  cereal  .  .  .  they  ask  for  more! 


#*&       <^. 


\7~ 


Authentic  Plane 

Silhouettes  on 

each  Handysack 


LISTEN  TO:    NEWS  on  Station  KUTA,  Salt  Lake  City, 
Monday  through  Friday,  11:30  a.m.  and  3:00  p.m.    "Dick 
Tracy"  on  Station  KUTA,  Monday  through  Friday,  4:30 
p.m.    Louis  P.  Lochner  on  KDYL,  Wednesday  through  Saturday,  4:00  p.m. 
"Women  in  the  News"  on  Station  KUTA,  Monday  through  Friday,    10:25  a.m. 


L.  D.  S.  Training  Pays! 

LOOK  AHEAD! 

Make  your  business  training  broad  enough  for 
Peace  as  well  as  War. 


Prepare  now  for  the  needs — and  opportuni- 
ties— of  tomorrow.  L.D.S.  Business  College  of- 
fers you  the  excellent  training  and  effective 
employment  service. 

L.    D.    S. 

BUSINESS  COLLEGE 

70  North  Main.  Salt  Lake  City  1,  Utah 
Day  and  Evening 


^JhY'&mblem 
"Sfficicnl  School 


All  the  Year 


Vi/herever   c/hey    Q,o  .  ,  . 

Dear  Editor:  Canadian  Army  Overseas 

I  have  just  been  reading  a  copy  of  your  magazine  The  Improvement  Era, 

picked  up  on  the  field  post  office.  ...  I  liked  particularly  your  September 
1943  article  "Something  about  a  Soldier."  .  .  . 

Signalman  W.  R.  Ruddell 


131 


..any  hour  of  the  day! 


THERE'S  abetter 
beginning  for  the 
day  . . .  whenever 
yours  begins.  Hotcakes  drenched  with  gold- 
en, delicious  Mapleine  Syrup !  Three  ways 
to  make  it— two  of  them  sugar  savers.  Get 
magic  Mapleine  from  your  grocer — today ! 

3  GRAND  WAYS  TO  MAKE  MAPLEINE  SYRUP 


©  ^^%  sSttf&A. 


pour  2  cups  boiling  water 
over  4  cups  sugar 

add   1  teaspoon  Mapleine 

stir  and  you  have  . . . 

2  pints  Mapleine  Syrup 


boil    V/z  cups  hot  water 
3  cups  corn  syrup 
for  5  minutes 

add   1  teaspoon  Mapleine 

stir  and  you  have  .  .  . 


2  pint 


heat 


Mapleine  Syrup 


1  cup  hot  water 
V*  cup  strained  honey 
2'/t  cups  corn  syrup 

Bring  to  full  boil. 
add  1  teaspoon  Maple'ne 
stir  and  you  have  .  . . 

2  pints  Mapleine  Syrup 


IMITATION  MAPLE  FLAVOR 

7U  *8xte*zHe&>*7%rt°* vutli/tvi&me 


ROMANCE 
PIOMEERLORE 

#  <m  Vkeih  %e4t 


000*1 


fl5©  4a50    *V7* 


THE  BOOKCRAFT  CO. 

1465  South  State,  Salt  Lake  City  4,  Utah 

Please  send  the  books  checked  above 

Send  C.O.D. 

$ check  or  money  order  enclosed. 

NAME 

ADDRESS    


TELEFACT 

NATIONAL  INCOME  IN  2  WARS-AND  AFTER 


BILLIONS  OF 

OOLLARS 
1939 


1940 


1943 


1944 


1945 


1914 


1915 


1916 


1917 


1918 


1919 


1920 


1921 


1922 


PICTOGRAPH  CORPORATION 


EXPLORING  THE  UNIVERSE 


(Concluded  from  page  131 ) 

ducts  in  the  breakdown  of  sugars  and 
carbohydrates  by  the  body. 

["  obster-krills  in  the  larval  stage  less 
than  an  inch  long  commonly  occur 
in  shoals  about  the  Falkland  Islands, 
Patagonia,  New  Zealand,  and  other 
southern  waters.  They  may  be  in  such 
numbers  that  the  sea  is  red  for  acres: 
whales  in  those  waters  just  open  their 

mouths  and  swim  slowly  to  strain  them. 

4 

npHE  bright  red  and  orange  hues  of  the 
autumn  colors  are  in  the  leaves 
during  the  summer  but  are  masked  by 
the  stronger  green  of  the  chlorophyl 
pigment,  which  breaks  down  and  be- 
comes colorless  in  the  autumn. 


C  and  puffed  up  with  air,  silica  aerogel, 

is  reported  to  be  twice  as  effective 

as  any  other  material  as  a  heat  insulator. 


nP'HE  average  compression  ratio  of  new 
cars  in  1941  was  6.6  to  1.  The  com- 
pression ratio  is  the  fraction  of  the  orig- 
inal volume  in  the  cylinder  of  an  en- 


gine to  which  the  gasoline  and  air  mix- 
ture is  squeezed  before  being  exploded 
by  the  spark  plug.  This  ratio  increased 
almost  fifty  percent  since  1931.  During 
this  same  period  the  crude  oil  yielded  a 
constant  fraction  of  about  forty-four 
percent  gasoline  on  refining. 

4 

Come  insects  have  waxy  or  oily  bodies 
W  on  their  wings  which  enable  them 
to  escape  easily  from  the  viscous 
threads  of  the  Argyopid  and  other 
spiders. 

4 

Potatoes  have  been  used  in  laying 
■*■  concrete  roads.  To  hold  the  cement 
together  across  the  asphalt  expansion 
joints  to  prevent  one  section  shifting 
above  the  other,  steel  rods  are  im- 
bedded with  an  end  in  each  cement  sec- 
tion on  both  sides  of  the  tar  strip.  When 
the  rods  changed  in  length  with  tem- 
perature they  cracked  the  cement,  so 
that  a  potato  was  placed  on  each  end 
to  give  room  for  expansion  of  the  rod 
in  the  cement.  Present  practice  is  to 
place  a  small  telescoping  corrugated 
cardboard  tube  over  one  end. 


TEIEFACT 


RAW  MATERIALS  REQUIRED  TO  PRODUCE 
ONE  BARREL  OF  GASOLINE. . . . 

A 

FR"M  COAL 


A    -4-4-4 


+ 


FROM  NATURAL  GAS 


FROM  PETROLEUM 


£och  »y<nbot  npfttrtt  MQ  lbs. 


ONE 

BARREL' 

OF 

GASOLINE 


nOOGRAPH  CORPORATION 


132 


THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


& 


^jrranklu 


ON  DEATH 


A  letter  to  his  niece,  Miss  E.  Hubbard, 
dated  Philadelphia,  February  23,  1756,  on 
the  death  of  his  brother,  John,  her  step' 
father: 

I  condole  with  you.  We  have  lost  a 
most  dear  and  valuable  relation.  But 
it  is  the  will  of  God  and  nature  that 
these  mortal  bodies  be  laid  aside  when 
the  soul  is  to  enter  into  real  life.  This 
is  rather  an  embryo  state,  a  prepara- 
tion for  living. 

A  man  is  not  completely  born  until 
he  is  dead.  Why  then  grieve  that  a 
new  child  is  born  among  the  immortals, 
a  new  member  added  to  their  happy 
society?  We  are  spirits.  That  bodies 
should  be  lent  us,  while  they  can  afford 
us  pleasure,  assist  in  acquiring  knowl- 
edge or  in  doing  good  to  our  fellow 
creatures,  is  a  kind  and  benevolent  act 
of  God. 

When  they  become  unfit  for  these 
purposes  and  afford  us  pain  instead  of 
pleasure,  instead  of  an  aid  become  an 
encumbrance  and  answer  none  of  the 
intentions  for  which  they  were  given, 
it  is  equally  kind  and  benevolent  that 
a  way  is  provided  by  which  we  get 
rid  of  them. 

Death  is  that  way.  We,  ourselves, 
in  some  cases,  prudently  choose  a 
partial  death.  A  mangled,  painful  limb, 
which  cannot  be  restored,  we  willing- 
ly cut  off.  He  who  plucks  out  a  tooth 
parts  with  it  freely,  since  the  pain  goes 
with  it. 

He  who  quits  the  whole  body  parts 
at  once  with  pains  and  possibilities  of 
pains  and  diseases  it  was  liable  to  or 
capable  of  making  him  suffer. 

Our  friend  and  we  were  invited 
abroad  on  a  party  of  pleasure,  which 
is  to  last  forever.  His  chair  was  ready 
first  and  he  is  gone  before  us.  We 
could  not  all  conveniently  start  togeth- 
er; and  why  should  I  be  grieved  at 
this,  since  we  are  soon  to  follow,  and 
know  where  to  find  him.    Adieu.* 


•Submitted  by  Thorn  C.  Miner,  as  published  In 
the  Philadelphia  Inquirer,  by  Joseph  Fort  Newton, 
under  the   title   "Those  Gone  Before." 


"A  CHILD  SLEEPING" 
By  Pauline  Soroka  Chadwell 

A  thousand  mothers  must  have  paused 
tonight. 
Each  one  beside  her  sleeping  infant's  bed, 
As  I  am  doing  now — before  the  light 
Is  dimmed  beneath  whose  arc  your  golden 

head 
Shines  like  a  jonquil  lying  on  the  snow. 

A  thousand  mothers  must  have  breathed  a 

sigh- 
Perhaps  a  prayer  of  thanks  to  feel  the  glow 
Of  love  in  this  sweet  moment's  lullaby. 

This  twilight  hour  is  one  all  mothers  know — 
A  part  of  day's  routine — a  task  to  do; 
And  yet,  each  night,  I   feel  the  surge  and 

flow 
Of  all  the  longing  that  I  had  for  you — 
And  life's  fulfilment  is  your  golden  head, 
My  brimming  cup — the  chalice  of  your  bed. 

MARCH,  1944 


With  Babies 
It's  Different 


The  adults  of  this  country  are  not  going  to 
have  to  go  hungry  even  if  they  can't  have  all 
they'd  like  of  just  what  they'd  like  to  eat.  Adults 
have  a  wide  choice  of  foods  that  will  provide 
them  wholesome  nourishment. 

Withbabies  it's  different.  They  must  have  all 
they  need  of  the  chief  item  of  their  food — good, 
safe,  easily  digested  wholesome  milk.  That's 
why  our  first  concern  is  to  see  that  there  will  be 
a  plentiful  supply  of  Irradiated  Sego  Milk  for 
the  thousands  of  babies  who  are  living  so  well 
and  so  happily  on  it. 

All  Sego  Milk  is  specially  enriched  with 
precious  sunshine  viiamin  D  by  irradia- 
tion with  ultraviolet  rays. 


Sego  Milk  Products  Company 

Originator  of  Evaporated  Milk 
in  the  Intermountain  West 
Plants  at  Richmond,  Utah;  Preston  and  Buhl,  Idaho 


Enriched 

BREAD  IS  A  VICTORY  FOOD 


that  provides  energy 
and  extra  food  value. 
And,  it  isn't  rationed! 


ROYAL    BAKING   COMPANY 

Salt  Lake  &  Ogden  "— '    "» 

More  Than  Fifty  Years  of  Service  and  Progress 


Fresh  every  day 
at  your  grocer's 


JLovell  Visard    Underwrites  the     ibra 

We  are  about  out  of  people  to  work  on.  If  you  have  some  backward 
ward  that  would  like  some  help,  maybe  we  could  help  them  out.  It's  good 
to  do  the  job  the  way  you  like  it  done — all  the  way. 

Bishop  Frank  Brown 


133 


/  EtoEflfcgx 


S&ufl% 


Crisp, plump  vegetables,  popped  into  our 
kettles  fresh  from  the  fields— make  Rancho 
soup  taste  so  good . . .  lower  freight  costs  to 
your  grocer  from  our  farm-kitchens  here 
in  the  West,  make  Rancho  soup  cost  you 
less.  So  for  wholesome,  hearty  soup  always 

REACH  FOR 

RANCHO 

5  delicious  kinds 

Tomato  •  Vegetable  •  Chicken-Noodle  •  Pea  •  Asparagus 


You'll  Find  In 

"There's-a-War-On" 

Attitude  Here! 

N 

^ 0.  indeedl  Although 
we're  operating  to  capacity 
and  frequently  obliged  to 
say,  "Sorry,  no  accommoda- 
tions available."  you'll  still 
find  the  same  friendly  atmos- 
phere prevails  at  the  Temple 
Square.  Today,  as  always, 
we're  mighty  thankful  that 
you  think  of  us  when  you 
come  to  Salt  Lake  City.  And 
we'll  do  our  best  to  justify 
your  continued  loyalty  to 
Salt   Lake's   newest   hotel. 


Hotel 

Temple  Square 

Salt  Lake  City 
CLARENCE  L  WEST, 


Tf 


[mzi>£^m>?*****rzT 


•**-*  *€*«««  <4««««««*««<« 


£H32EEnX3E3ETJ 


FOR  ONE  TO  COME 
By  Eva  Willes  Wangsgaard 

I  try  to  catch  on  paper  what  I  feel, 
What  makes  me  angry,  sorry,  or  content: 
Man's  ignorance  too  arrogant  to  kneel 
To  wise  divinity  for  complement, 
His  courage  and  his  love  and  sacrifice, 
A  hill  in  snow  like  moire  in  the  wind, 
Or  newly  green  and  damp  from  melting  ice. 
Or  fragrant  in  the  sun  and  blossom-pinned. 
I  vanish,  leaving  only  what  I  wrote; 
And  one  who  follows  stumbles  on  a  page 
Where  my  heart  speaks  to  his  and  he  will 

note 
His  own  truth-seeking  in  an  earlier  age, 
And  shape  from  mine  a  lens  to  speed  his 

own, 
Strengthened    to  know   he   does   not  seek 

alone. 

1 — ■  m  • 


NEEDS  RENOVATING 
By  Mildred  Goft 

WE  looked  at  scores  of  houses,  bright 
with  trees  and  flowers. 

Among  them  all  there  wasn't  one  we  coveted 
for  ours. 

This  had  a  splendid  furnace,  that  had  a 
lovely  view, 

And  all  or  them  were  neat  as  pins,  and  glit- 
tering, and  new. 

At  last  we  saw  a  house  that  looked  like  a 
neglected  child. 

The  window  panes  were  broken,  the  gar- 
den going  wild. 

It  needed  paint  and  varnish,  it  needed  love 
and  care. 

It  was  the  one  we  wanted.  We  combed  its 
tangled  hair, 

And  washed  its  face,  and  scrubbed  it  clean, 
and  mended  it,  and  such. 

We're  glad  we  bought  that  little  house — 
it  needed  us  so  much. 


STAR  SHADOW 
By  Dorothy  Marie  Davis 

The  wind  is  a  shy  thing,  the  wind  is  a 
fawn; 
If  you  surprise  it  .  .  .  Whisk!  it  is  gone. 
You  never  will  see  it  by  day,  though  its 

track 
Flattens  the  lilies,  though  trees  double  back. 
You  never  will  see  it  by  moonlight  although 
You  set  silver  snares  everywhere  it  might 

go. 
I  have  not  seen  it,  but  one  dark  night  .  .  . 
(The  moon  just  set)    ...  by  a  star's  wan 

light 
I  saw  wind's  shadow  on  the  lake  it  passed — 
A  slim  dim  shadow  that  a  star  would  cast. 


LET  ME  FEEL  JOY 
By  Drucilla  R.  Thomas 

ILJelp  me,  dear  Lord,  to  know  the  joy  of 

giving. 
Help  me  to  give  unselfishly  what  e'er  I  can. 
God  grant,  I  shall  not  be  too  poor  to  share 

my  love, 
To  let  my  strength  support  a  fellow  man; 
E'en  though  my  store  of  wealth  is  small 
I  still  can  know  the  joy  of  giving, 
Through  me  some  darkened  soul  may  see 

again — 
And  I  shall  know  the  joy  of  living. 


SPRING 
By  Lalia  Mitchell 

I  shall  wait  the  song  of  thrushes, 
And  of  blackbirds  in  the  rushes, 
I  shall  wait  the  brook  that  rushes  down  the 

hillside  cool  and  clear; 
Soon  the  violets  will  greet  me 
And  the  smile  of  spring  will  meet  me — 
I  shall  know  full  soon  how  sweet  the  first- 
named  season  of  the  year. 


AS  THROUGH  A  WINDOW 
By  Eugenia  Finn 

Look  out  on  life  as  through  a  window  filled 
With  all  the  loveliness  of  earth  and  sky; 
Watch  dawn's  first  promise  when  the  winds 

are  stilled 
And  golden  fingers  lift  and  clarify. 

Find  courage  in  the  searching  light  of  noon 
When  visions  vanish  and  the  truth  is  shown; 
Go   bravely    forth,    although    the   path   be 

strewn 
With  all  the  scattered  hopes  a  heart  has 

known. 

The  long  day,  waning,  brings  the  quiet  hour 
Of  reverie  and  rest  when  work  is  done, 
And  one  no  longer  strives  for  place  and 

power, 
Content  to  watch  the  pageant  of  the  sun. 

And  as  the  night  drifts  down  and  colors 

fade, 
Still  look  on  life  clear-eyed  and  unafraid. 


TIME 
By  Sudie  Stuart  Hager 

'*T_Tow  I  wish  I  had  more  time," 
*■  *•    My  mother  used  to  say, 

Til!  Grandma,  knitting  in  her  chair, 
Answered  her  one  day: 

"My  dear,  you've  all  the  time  there  is, 

A  king  can  have  no  more; 
Count  up  the  minutes  in  a  dayl 

Surely  an  ample  store. 

"Minutes  are  the  seeds  of  time 

To  be  planted  in  life's  field; 
On  you  depends  the  nurturing, 

On  you  depends  the  yield." 


MARCH  WIND 
By  Thelma  Ireland 

The  March  wind  is  so  awkward, 
Has  no  manners,  has  no  grace. 
It  nearly  knocks  me  off  my  feet 
And  spills  rain  in  my  face. 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


SPRING  SONG 
By  Luacine  Fox 

Today  I  walked  beneath  God's  sky, 
I  trod  the  earth  he  made, 
And  on  my  head  I  felt  the  sun. 
My  eyes  were  filled  with  beauty, 
The  beauty  of  his  hands. 
The  air  was  soft  and  fragrant 
With  a  thousand  tiny  perfumes  from 
The  blossoms  being  born. 
Above,  a  lace  of  bursting  green 
And  tender  branches  frothed  against  the  sky. 
And  there  was  loveliness  about  the  path  I 

walked. 
An  unsung  song  of  rapture  gushed — 
A  symphony  of  colors — a  rainbow  sprayed 

upon  a  waiting  earth — 

No  headlines,  black  and  white, 

Of  death  and  hate  and  suffering. 

No  stark  creation  conjured   up  by  man's 

degraded  brain. 
No  fearful  cry — no  horror — no! 
Not  any.  of  the  ugliness,  man-born, 
Could  rob  my  heart  of  that  one  moment — 

When,    with   all    the    glad   new    surge   of 

spring. 
The  blossom-laden  air  so  soft  and  sweet, 
The  emerald  of  living  grass,  the  sunshine 

gold  of  daffodil, 
When  all  these  things  renewed  the  faith 

that  in  that  hour,  and  come  what  may, 
I  knew  I  walked  beneath  God's  sky. 


WATER  MARK 
By  Keith  Thomas 


Around  this  rock  the  ocean's  flock 
Of  waves  to  pasture  climb; 
The  print  of  teeth  reveal  beneath 

How  far  they  reach  each  time. 
God  bade  the  tide  from  land  divide 

And  let  these  markings  be 
For  men  to  find  the  plan  designed 
Of  heaven,  earth,  and  sea. 


w 


THE  ARTIST 

By  Arthur  Wallace  Peach 

hen  Mrs.  Myers  made  a  pie 
No  moon  stood  still  or  sun  on  high, 


But  with  each  choice  ingredient 
She  made  the  pie  a  day's  event 

Her  touch  upon  the  pie  became 

In  essence  all  that  sealed  with  fame 

The  art  of  Michelangelo, 
Undimmed  while  ages  come  and  go. 

When  Mr.  Myers  cut  a  slice 

With  marked  approval,  though  concise, 

She  knew,  as  anyone  can  guess, 
An  artist's  crowning  happiness! 


rlea  j* 

IF  YOU  PRE 


ailing 

fflk&A    Jr&%$  ww 


The  tightest  squeeze  this  year  on  the  farm 
front  will  come  at  harvest  time.  Many  over-age  binders 
and  threshers  cannot  survive  another  year.  Modern  ma- 
chines must  be  prepared  to  carry  an  extra  load. 

The  most  urgent  S.O.S.  will  come  from  storm-lodged 
grains,  soybeans,  sorghums,  legume  and  grass  seed  crops 
...  all  of  which  can  be  saved  by  the  versatile  All-Crop 
Harvester.  Here's  what  you  can  do  to  get  your  machine 
ready  for  maximum  service  in  your  community  — 

+c  Schedule  your  All-Crop  immediately  for  the  24-POINT 
FARM  COMMANDO  overhaul  by  your  Allis-Chalmers 
dealer.  This  also  includes  reconditioning  the  attachments 
for  special  crops  and  replac- 
ing or  rebuilding  worn  parts. 

*  List  your  machine  on  your 
dealer's  official  Register  as  a 
qualified  Farm  Commando, 
available  for  outside  work 
on  neighboring  farms. 

If  you  are  in  need  of  an 
All -Crop  Harvester,  there 
are  three  ways  in  which  your 
A-C  dealer  may  help  you: 
(1)  Supply  you  with  a  new 
All-Crop;  (2)  sell  you  a  good 
reconditioned  machine;  or 
(3)  place  you  in  touch  with 
an  owner  whose  All -Crop 
is  available  for  custom  work. 
See  him  today! 


If  blast  furnaces  grow  cold  for 
lack  of  scrap  iron  from  the  farm, 
so  will  gun  barrels.  For  the  sake 
of  men  in  the  service  from  your 
own  home  town,  turn  every  piece 
of  idle  iron  in  to  the  Victory 
Scrap  Bank.  Ask  your  A-C  dealer! 


BUY  STIIL  MORE  WAR  BONDS!    /els  fUtlsA  tAeJo4/ 


K 


.. 


ALUS-CHALMERS 

■    TRACTOR     Dl  VI  S  ION-M  ILWAUKE  E   •  U.    S.    A. 

ALL-CROP  HARVESTER 


MARCH,  1944 


135 


WALK 
TO  CHURCH 


TT'S  good  for  you — and  saves  your  car, 
gasoline  and  tires  for  essential  war 
work  transportation. 


And,  remember,  your  car  must  have  ex- 
pert care.  Frequent  check-ups  by  your 
Pep  88-Vico  station  or  dealer  will  help 
your  car  to  run  better  and  last  longer. 


let  Us  Help 
Keep  Your  Car 
In  Fighting  Trim 


^r^'' 


UTAH    OIL    REFINING    COMPANY    STATIONS 

and  Dealers  in  Its  Products 


STILL  LEADING  CHURCH  BEST-SELLERS 

GOSPEL   STANDARDS 

By  President  Heber  J.  Grant 

Good  reading  on  fundamentals  of  Mormonism,  church  ad- 
ministration, the  church  and  society,  Mormon  economics — the  life 
and  times  of  the  seventh  president  of  the  church. 


$2.25 


At  bookdealers  everywhere 


Oil  SING-LIVELY 

By  ALFRED  I.  TOOKE 

IN  all  the  weeks  I  stayed  in  the  New 
England  village,  I  never  did  learn 
his  real  name.  To  old  and  young, 
one  and  all,  he  was  "Old  Sing-Lively," 
and  a  most  appropriate  name  it  was, 

At  almost  any  time  that  you  passed 
the  barn-like  structure  that  housed  the 
tools  and  stock-in-trade  of  his  various 
activities — for  he  was  a  sort  of  com- 
bination village  blacksmith,  builder, 
carpenter,  plumber,  painter — you  would 
hear  his  tuneful  voice  as  his  song 
mingled  with  the  melody  of  the  anvil 
or  the  saw. 

It  was  on  Sundays,  however,  that 
Old  Sing-Lively  was  in  his  glory.  Morn- 
ing and  evening  he  was  always  first  at 
the  little  schoolhouse  that  also  served 
as  meetinghouse.  Others  might  be  re- 
sponsible for  this  part  or  that  part  of 
the  service,  but  it  was  always  Old  Sing- 
Lively  who  took  charge  of  the  music.  It 
was  always  Old  Sing-Lively  who,  at 
the  appointed  moments,  announced  the 
hymn  numbers.  It  was  his  voice,  mel- 
lowed by  the  years,  but  still  deep  and 
clear  and  resonant,  that  read  the  first 
verse  while  the  congregation  "found  the 
place"  in  their  hymn  books.  And  al- 
ways, after  a  momentary  pause,  during 
which  his  gaze  would  sweep  the  con- 
gregation, his  voice  would  boom:  "Sing 
lively,  now!    Sing  lively!"    Then,  clear 


136 


—Photograph  bg  H.  Armstrong  Roberts 

as  a  bell,  from  that  powerful  throat  the 
melody  would  flow,  for  the  little  school- 
house  boasted  neither  organ  nor  piano; 
indeed  it  had  little  need  of  either,  for 
Old  Sing-Lively  seemed  to  find  the  right 
key  by  instinct,  and  never  did  he  pitch 
a  tune  too  high  or  too  low  for  his  con- 
gregation. 

He  dearly  loved  the  livelier  tunes, 
and  sometimes,  at  the  end  of  a  verse,  if 
some  voice  had  been  guilty  of  dragging, 
he  would  eye  the  offender  reproachful- 
ly, and  again  exhort  them  to  "sing  live- 
(Concluded  on  page  165) 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


<^hlarch 


March  is  a  wild  bird 
Winging,  strong  and  fleet, 
Into  relentless  winds,  blind 
To  defeat. 


—Photograph    by    Jeano  Orlando 


March  is  a  man-child 
Running  swift  and  free, 
Head  tossed,  gay  shouts  ringing 
Noisily, 


March  is  a  willow-bud 
Affianced  to  the  spring; 
Wild,  gay,  modest— 
Disquieting! 


By  Helen  Baker  Adams 


MARCH,  1944 


137 


Tk  Yd^agt\&  fiist,3m^  \ 


Looks  a  little  silly,  doesn't  it?  .  .  .  Actually,  we 
never  heard  of  a  woman  who  locked  up  her  laundry 
soap  with  the  family  sparklers. 

But  the  general  idea  isn't  bad.  Soap,  under  war 
conditions,  is  a  precious  article.  Every  bar  that's 
made  contains  materials  vital  to  the  success  of 
our  men  in  the  service. 

We  don't  believe  any  sensible  woman  needs 
urging  to  be  careful  with  soap.  To  buy 
just  what  she  needs.  To  get  full  value  from 
every  ounce.  To  make  every  bar  last  as 
long  as  possible  .  .  . 
especially  when  she  uses 
Fels-Naptha  Soap! 


THE • 

/Keilaioud  ^tttituaed 
OF 

NOTED  MEN 

By  LEON  M.  STRONG 


IT  is  said  that  Robert  Ingersoll,  re- 
nowned agnostic  orator,  shortly  be- 
fore his  death,  was  asked  if  his 
friends  might  use  his  forceful  speeches 
and  writings.  He  is  reported  to  have 
said: 

You  are  at  liberty  to  use  anything  you 
wish,  but  I  pray  you  to  omit  any  intimations 
I  may  have  made  to  the  non-existence  of 
God. 

The  late  Senator  William  E.  Borah 
of  Idaho  adds  his  bit: 

I  am  a  believer  in  the  fundamental  prin- 
ciples of  religious  liberty.  If  the  time  ever 
comes  when  I  have  to  sacrifice  my  office 
for  those  principles,  I  shall  unhesitatingly 
do  so.1 

And  again,  in  a  letter  to  a  high  school 
student: 

I  do  believe  in  prayer.  I  believe  in  a  God 
who  answers  prayers." 

The  following  is  said  to  be  an  addi- 
tion King  George  of  England  made  to 
the  talk  which  he  broadcast  Christmas 
morning,  1931,  in  which  he  quoted 
Louise  Haskins: 

I  said  to  the  man  who  stood  at  the  gates 
of  the  year,  "Give  me  a  light  that  I  may 
tread  safely  into  the  unknown."  and  he  re- 
plied, "Go  forth  into  the  darkness  and  put 
your  hand  into  the  hand  of  God.  which  shall 
be  to  you  better  than  a  light  and  safer  than 
a  known  way."* 

President  Franklin  D.  Roosevelt  has 
been  quoted  in  a  prominent  daily  paper 
as  follows: 

There  comes  a  time  in  the  affairs  of  men 
when  they  must  prepare  to  defend  not  their 
homes  only,  but  the  tenets  of  their  faith  and 
humanity  on  which  their  churches  and  their 
government  and  their  very  civilization  are 
founded.* 

Robert  E.  Lee,  the  courageous  but 
tranquil-souled  man  of  the  Southern 
armies,  wrote  a  letter  when  the  fortunes 
of  the  South  were  at  very  low  ebb. 
What  he  wrote  was  characteristic  of 
his  life.  Here  is  an  extract  from  his 
letter: 

We  are  all  in  the  hands  of  a  kind  God 
who  will  do  for  us  what  is  best,  and  more 
than  we  deserve,  and  we  have  only  to 
endeavor  to  deserve  more  and  to  do  our 
duty  to  him  and  to  ourselves.  May  we  all 
deserve  his  mercy,  his  care,  and  his  protec- 
tion.* 

iLibertg,  Vol.  35,  No.  2.  p.  27 

aLetter   on   file   with    the   present  writer 

'Troth  Magazine,  1941 

*New  York   Times.  January   8,   1939 

^Robert  E.  Lee— Man  and  Soldier,  by  Thomo» 
Nelson  Page,  Charles  Scribners  and  Sons,  1934,  p. 
624 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


^Tuoldma  the  r\apldi 


a  me  /\api 


£5u  J-^redident  ^J4eber  /j.  Ljrant 


i 


heard  of  a  man,  who  was  at  a  great  banquet,  speaking  to  another 
regarding  the  faith  of  the  Latter-day  Saints.  He  said,  "Why,  the  Mormon  people,  those  who 
live  their  religion,  do  not  use  tea,  coffee,  tobacco,  or  liquor." 

The  other  man  said,  "I  do  not  believe  a  word  of  it." 

The  first  man  replied,  "It  is  true." 

These  two  non-Mormons  were  sitting  at  one  of  the  tables  at  this  banquet.  Along  came 
a  member  of  the  church.  The  man  who  was  defending  the  Mormons  said,  "There  comes  a 
Mormon.  He  is  going  to  take  a  seat  with  us.  I'll  bet  you.  he  won't  drink  coffee." 

The  bet  was  accepted.   The  Mormon  drank  the  coffee! 

When  they  came  out,  the  one  who  lost  his  bet  said,  "I  have  no  further  use  for  that  man, 
who,  professing  to  believe  that  God  gave  a  revelation  through  Joseph  Smith,  telling  the  people 
to  leave  such  things  alone,  yet  comes  here  and  publicly  disobeys  the  teachings  of  his  prophet. 
I  have  trusted  that  man,  but  I  will  quit  trusting  him." 

We  carry  upon  our  shoulders  the  reputation,  so  to  speak,  of  the  church,  every  one  of 
us.  The  young  men  and  young  women  of  today  who  think  they  are  being  smart  by  getting 
a  little  wine  and  a  little  liquor  in  their  homes,  and  doing  that  which  the  Lord  tells  them  not  to 
do,  are  laying  a  foundation  that  will  lead  to  their  destruction  eventually.  They  cannot  go  on 
breaking  the  commandments  of  the  Lord  without  getting  into  the  rapids.  And  what  are  the 
rapids?  The  rapids  of  moderate  drinking,  nine  times  out  of  ten,  lead  to  excessive  drinking, 
and  excessive  drinking  leads  to  the  destruction  of  body  and  of  mind  and  of  faith. 

Any  Latter-day  Saint  who  actually  believes  in  the  commandments  contained  in  the  Doc- 
trine and  Covenants  must  have  no  regard  for  advancement  in  life  when  he  fails  to  keep  what 
is  known  as  the  Word  of  Wisdom,  which  was  given  to  us,  not  by  commandment,  but  for  our 
temporal  salvation.  There  is  absolutely  no  benefit  to  any  human  being  derived  from  break- 
ing the  Word  of  Wisdom,  but  there  is  everything  for  his  benefit,  morally,  intellectually, 
physically,  and  spiritually  in  obeying  it. 

What  does  the  Lord  say  to  those  who  obey  his  commandments? 

And  all  saints  who  remember  to  keep  and  do  these  sayings,  walking  in  obedience  to  the  command- 
ments, shall  receive  health  in  their  navel  and  marrow  to  their  bones; 

And  shall  find  wisdom  and  great  treasures  of  knowledge,  even  hidden  treasures; 

And  shall  run  and  not  be  weary,  and  shall  walk  and  not  faint. 

And  I,  the  Lord,  give  unto  them  a  promise,  that  the  destroying  angel  shall  pass  by  them,  as  the 
children  of  Israel,  and  not  slay  them. 

May  every  father  and  mother  so  order  -their  lives  that  their  example  will  be  an  inspira- 
tion to  their  children.  May  all  realize  that  every  Latter-day  Saint  carries,  to  a  certain  extent, 
upon  his  or  her  shoulders  the  reputation  of  the  church  of  Christ. 

May  the  Lord,  our  Father  in  heaven,  help  each  and  every  Latter-day  Saint  to  become 
familiar  with  the  commandments  of  the  Lord  as  contained  in  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants;  to 
become  familiar  with  the  history  and  the  dealings  of  God  with  Joseph  Smith,  with  the  marvel- 
ous inspiration  of  the  living  God  to  him  who  was  the  founder,  under  God,  of  the  church  of 
Christ. 

Above  all,  may  each  Latter-day  Saint  live  the  gospel  so  that  its  truth  will  be  proclaimed 
by  his  example. 


Jke  L^ditord  f^c 


aae 


f 


MARCH,  1944 


139 


A  friend  of  mine  recently  asked,  in 
substance,  the  following  ques- 
tions :  "Why,  in  these  times  while 
we  are  so  short  of  help  and  so  over- 
worked, does  the  church  welfare  com- 
mittee urge  the  production  of  so  much 
clothing,  food,  fuel,  and  other  commod- 
ities; why  the  erection  of  these  many 
bishops'  storehouses;  why  acquire 
properties  and  develop  permanent  proj- 
ects? Is  there  really  a  need  for  them? 
Isn't  this  just  an  unnecessary  burden 
laid  upon  the  backs  of  the  people?" 

It  is  my  conviction,  born  of  experi- 
ence, that  a  prayerful  study  of  what  the 
Lord's  living  prophets  have  said,  to- 
gether with  what  has  been  done  about 
the  welfare  plan  since  1936,  will  con- 
vince the  most  skeptical  that  it  is  not  a 
burden  but  an  opportunity;  the  way  by 
which  we  may  apply  the  divine  com- 
mand, "Thou  shaft  love  thy  neighbor  as 
thyself."    (Lev.  19:18.) 

Part  of  the  Gospel 

At  the  outset,  let  us  be  conscious  that 
the  church  welfare  plan  is  wholly  a 
church  program.  It  is  part  of  the  gos- 
pel of  Jesus  Christ  and  therefore  it  must 
be  understood,  as  are  all  other  phases 
of  the  gospel,  by  the  spirit  of  God  and 
not  by  the  spirit  of  man. 

We  accept  as  a  matter  of  course  and 
without  reservation  the  fact  that  we  are 
brothers  and  sisters,  "begotten  sons 
and  daughters  unto  God,"  as  it  is  stated 
in  the  revelation.  (D.  &  C.  76:24. )  This 
involves  the  whole  doctrine  of  pre-ex- 
istence;  our  antemortal  spirit  life;  the 
gospel  plan  as  evolved  there;  our  ac- 
ceptance of  it;  the  purpose  for  the  crea- 
tion, and  the  peopling  of  the  earth. 
These  fundamentals  I  shall  not  discuss 
here,  but  understanding  them,  we  know 
the  truth  of  the  declaration, 

/,  the  Lord,  stretched  out  the  heavens, 
and  built  the  earth,  my  very  handiwork; 
and  all  things  therein  are  mine.  And  it  is 
my  purpose  to  provide  [or  my  saints,  for 
all  things  are  mine.  But  it  must  needs  be 
done  in  mine  own  way.  (D.  &  C.  104:14- 
16.   Italics  author's.) 

We  who,  through  the  waters  of  bap- 
tism, have  covenanted  with  the  Lord 
that  we  are  willing  to  take  upon  us  the 
name  of  his  Son  and  always  remember 
him  and  keep  his  commandments  which 
he  has  given  us,  have  been  united  in 
the  bonds  of  Christ  and  are  under 
solemn  obligation  to  assist  the  Lord  in 
caring  for  his  Saints,  our  "brethren  in 
the  Lord"  (Alma  17:2),  and  we  must 
do  it  in  the  Lord's  "own  way." 

Based  on  Love 

The  Savior  admonished  us  to  love 
one  another.  Following  his  great  dis- 
course about  love  and  unity  being 
characteristic  of  the  gospel  of  Christ, 
he  referred  to  love  and  unity  among  his 
followers  as  being  convincing  evidence 
to  the  world  that  the  Father  had  sent 
him.  This  love  for  one  another  is  al- 
ways present  in  the  church  of  Jesus 
Christ.  It  is  found  wherever  church 
members  meet.  Particularly  is  it  notice- 
able away  from  the  main  bodies  of  the 

140 


CHURCH  WELFARE 


& 


ca 


m    nffanon   kj.  /\otnneu 

ASSISTANT   MANAGING    DIRECTOR   GENERAL 
CHURCH   WELFARE   COMMITTEE,   AND 
ASSISTANT   TO  THE  TWELVE 


church  in  strange  lands.  It  is  felt  in  the 
grip  of  the  hand  and  in  the  understand- 
ing greeting.  It  approaches  its  highest 
expression  in  the  giving  of  encourage- 
ment and  assistance  in  time  of  need  by 
neighbor  to  neighbor  in  the  spirit  of 
true  charity,  which  "is  the  pure  love  of 
Christ."  (Mor.  7:47.)  The  amount 
of  assistance  thus  bestowed  by  individ- 
ual members  of  the  church  will  never 
be  known,  for  it  is  given  without  the 
right  hand  knowing  what  the  left  hand 
does.  But  certainly  it  is  very  great. 
There  is  hardly  one  among  us  who  has 
not  been  at  some  time  on  the  giving  and 
then  again  on  the  receiving  end. 

President  Grant  has  set  a  splendid 
example  in  the  exercise  of  this  virtue. 
His  unbounded  love  for  his  fellow  men 
he  has  repeatedly  demonstrated,  by 
paying  here  a  widow's  mortgage,  and 
there  the  debt  of  an  oppressed  man;  he 
has  supplied  sustenance  to  numerous  in- 
dividuals and  families  in  their  hour  of 
need,  while  hosts  of  men  and  women 
testify  that  in  their  most  lonely  days  of 
sorrow  and  grief  he  has  cheered  their 
lives  by  giving  encouragement  and  com- 
fort in  a  friendly  visit.  We  would  do 
well  to  emulate  his  example. 

Concerted  Effort  Needed 

Notwithstanding,  however,  the  wide- 
spread worthy  practice  of  bestowing 
private  charities,  there  is  no  assurance 
that  all  church  members  will  be  cared 
for  thereby.  There  must  be  order  and 
united  effort  in  bringing  about  this  ob- 
jective, as  there  is  in  all  things  divine. 
Says  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith : 

The  greatest  temporal  and  spiritual 
blessings,  which  always  come  from  faith- 
fulness and  concerted  effort,  never  attend  in- 
dividual exertion  or  enterprise.  (Teachings 
of  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  p.  183.  Italics 
added.) 

The  welfare  plan  affords  the  opportu- 
nity for  that  united,  orderly,  "concerted 
effort." 

Bishops'  Responsibility 

As  early  as  1832,  the  Lord  by  revela- 
^*  tion  put  the  responsibility  for  look- 
ing after  the  poor  upon  the  bishop  of 
the  church.  (D.  &  C.  84:112.)  Earlier 
in  the  same  year,  he  specified  that  "the 
storehouse  shall  be  kept  by  the  con- 
secrations of  the  church;  and  the  wid- 
ows and  orphans  shall  be  provided  for, 
as  also  the  poor."  (D.  &  C.  83:6.)  To 
meet  this  charge  partially,  there  has 
grown  up  in  the  church  by  common 


consent  the  practice  of  abstaining  from 
two  meals  on  the  first  Sunday  of  each 
month  and  giving  the  equivalent  thereof 
to  the  bishop.  This  is  the  fast  offering. 
It  is  used  by  the  bishop  in  caring  for  the 
needy. 

Fast  Offerings 

The  church  membership,  as  shown  by 
the  statistical  report  given  at  the  gen- 
eral conference,  April  1943,  was  917,- 
715.  Assuming  the  average  value  of 
meals  to  be  15c  and  that  all  members 
strictly  observed  the  fast  and  con- 
tributed an  honest  fast  offering,  the  con- 
tribution would  be  30c  per  capita  per 
month,  $3.60  per  year,  or  an  annual 
total  of  $3,303,774.00.  This  would  go 
far  toward  eliminating  actual  need  and 
no  one  would  be  the  poorer  because  the 
offering  given  would  be  saved  by  the 
fasting,  while  the  church  would  be  in- 
finitely richer  spiritually. 

Unfortunately,  the  offerings  placed  in 
the  bishops'  hands  have  not  always  been 
sufficient  to  meet  the  needs  of  his  peo- 
ple. A  survey  made  in  September  1935, 
revealed  the  fact  "that  17.9  percent  of 
the  entire  church  membership  received 
relief,  or  a  total  of  88,460  persons;  that 
80,247  persons  (16.3  percent)  received 
relief  from  the  county  and  8,213  (1.6 
percent)  received  relief  from  church 
funds."  (Message  on  relief  by  the  first 
presidency,  April  1936.) 

Observance  of  the  monthly  fast  and 
payment  of  an  honest  fast  offering  is 
urged  under  the  welfare  plan,  and  in 
addition  thereto  the  program  calls  for 
the  production  of  food,  fuel,  clothing, 
and  other  necessities  of  life. 

Annual  Church  Welfare  Budget 

Each  year  a  list  of  these  necessities, 
which  has  come  to  be  known  as  the  an- 
nual church  welfare  budget,  is  pre- 
pared under  the  direction  of  the  gen- 
eral church  welfare  committee.  The 
quantities  are  based  on  the  anticipated 
need.  The  budget  is  broken  down  to 
the  welfare  regions  of  the  church,  and 
then  to  the  stakes  in  the  region,  and 
finally  to  the  wards,  priesthood  quo- 
rums, and  other  units  within  the  stakes 
for  production.  This  budget,  when  it 
is  produced,  is  put  in  the  hands  of  the 
bishops  of  the  church  and  placed  in 
bishops'  storehouses.  Thus,  in  discharg- 
ing their  responsibilities  to  the  poor  of 
the  church,  the  bishops  have  two 
sources  of  supply:  the  fast  offerings  and 
the  welfare  budget.   An  effort  is  being 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


an 


OPPORTUNITY 


made  to  widen  the  production  base  so 
that  we  shall  as  nearly  as  may  be  pro- 
duce all  of  life's  necessities. 

An  Aim  of  Church  Welfare 

One  of  the  aims  of  church  welfare  is 
to  see  that  each  church  member  who 
will  accept  the  program  and  subscribe 
to  it  and  who,  by  the  efforts  of  himself 
and  his  family,  is  unable  to  care  for  him- 
self, shall  be  cared  for  "according  to  his 
family,  according  to  his  circumstances 
and  his  wants  and  needs."  (D.  &  C.  51 : 
3. )  Important  as  is  the  achievement  of 
this  objective,  it  is  of  less  consequence 
than  is  the  manner  in  which  it  is  to  be 
reached,  for  it  must  be  accomplished  in 
such  a  way  as  to  do  away  with  the 
curse  of  idleness,  the  evils  of  a  dole, 
and  so  as  to  develop  independence,  in- 
dustry, thrift  and  self-respect  amongst 
our  people.  (See  "Message  of  the  First 
Presidency  to  the  Church."  October 
general  conference,  1936.)  That  there 
is  sore  need  for  such  a  program  is  evi- 
denced by  the  following  incidents  all 
brought  to  our  attention  recently. 

The  Need  Demonstrated 

A  stake  president  proposed  to  pur- 
"**■  chase  a  small  plot  of  ground  with  a 
building  on  one  corner  which  might  be 
used  for  a  bishops'  storehouse.  He  ex- 
plained that  it  was  planned  to  build  a 
coop  for  a  few  chickens,  a  corral  and 
sheds  for  a  cow,  and  grow  a  garden  on 
the  remaining  portion.  An  inquiry 
brought  the  explanation  that  a  brother 
residing  next  door  would  operate  it, 
that  he  was  existing  without  fear  of 
starvation  on  public  "assistance,"  but 
that  he  was  the  most  miserable  man  in 
the  world  because  he  had  nothing  to  do. 
Another  stake  president,  a  banker, 
was  visited  at  his  office  by  a  brother  de- 


siring to  withdraw  the  money  he  had  on 
deposit  in  the  bank.  The  brother  made 
the  request  that  the  money  be  given  to 
him  in  private.  The  president  did  not 
say  how  much  it  was,  but  he  did  say 
that  it  was  a  sizeable  roll  of  currency 
in  rather  large  denominations,  and  he 
said  further  that  within  a  few  days  this 
brother's  name  appeared  on  the  list  of 
recipients  of  public  assistance. 

In  one  of  the  most  fertile  valleys  of 
the  intermountain  country,  a  woman  ap- 
proached a  member  of  a  stake  presi- 
dency, a  lawyer,  and  asked  if  he  would 
help  get  her  land  back.  Upon  being  in- 
terrogated, she  gave  the  following  ex- 
planation : 

I  had  a  valuable  sixty-acre  irrigated  farm 
which  I  conveyed  to  my  married  daughter  in 
order  that  I  might  get  government  assist- 
ance. My  daughter  recently  died  and  the 
title  passed  to  her  husband.  He  refuses  to 
acknowledge  my  ownership. 

The  following  is  from  the  governor's 
message  to  the  1943  Utah  Legislature, 
as  it  appeared  in  the  press  January  12, 
1943.  He  was  discussing  the  state  wel- 
fare program. 

In  the  Ogden  area,  .  .  .  the  budget  for  a 
widowed  mother  and  two  children  is  about 
$45  per  month.  .  .  .  On  being  placed  on  re- 
lief that  mother  is  informed  by  the  case 
worker  that  she  will  be  allowed  that  amount 
each  month  provided  that  she  and  the  mem- 
bers of  her  family  receive  no  income  or  as- 
sistance from  any  other  source. 

Now,  if  during  the  summer  months  one 
of  her  children  should  get  a  part-time  job 
cutting  a  neighbor's  lawn  and  earn  $10  per 
month  .  .  .  the  rules  say  that  the  case  worker 
must  immediately  reduce  the  family  grant  by 
$10  per  month. 

The  child's  earnings  must,  therefore,  go 
into  the  family  budget.   After  the  summer  is 

SALT  LAKE  REGIONAL  BISHOPS'  STOREHOUSE 
AND  GRAIN  ELEVATOR,  SALT  LAKE  CTY,  UTAH 

— Photograph  courtesy  Deseret  Book  Company 


MARCH,  1944 


ended  and  the  industrious  child  returns  to 
school  and  his  income  of  $10  per  month 
stops,  the  rules  of  the  past  have  required 
that  a  new  investigation  be  made  before 
the  cut  can  be  restored.  Cases  are  numer- 
ous where  it  has  taken  from  six  weeks  to 
three  months  for  a  cut  once  made  to  be 
restored. 

Under  such  circumstances  the  widowed 
mother  knows  that  her  family  will  be  in 
want  for  a  period  if  anyone  of  them  works, 
so  she  is  forced  to  teach  her  children  not  to 
be  industrious  and  to  depend  on  the  state 
for  a  living.  If  there  were  only  one  example 
the  problem  would  not  be  so  serious,  but 
there  are  hundreds  of  children  in  this  state 
who  are  being  so  trained  and  taught  because 
of  a  welfare  philosophy  that  is  being  spon- 
sored by  our  laws.  .  .  . 

Take  another  example.  Let  us  assume  that 
the  budget  for  an  old  person  is  $30  per 
month.  If  such  a  one  should  keep  a  cow  or 
have  a  small  garden,  the  case  worker,  often 
inexperienced  in  the  art  of  figuring  net  in- 
comes, would  be  required  to  decide  the  value 
of  the  cow  or  garden  to  client  and  reduce 
his  grant  in  that  amount.  Consequently  the 
recipient  soon  discovers  that  it  does  not  pay 
to  be  industrious  so  he  wastes  his  life.  .  .  . 

Such  a  system  is  a  good  one  to  keep  peo- 
ple on  relief  perpetually  and  to  furnish  a  lot 
of  opportunities  for  social  workers  to  teach 
clients  how  to  make  their  meager  incomes 
stretch  through  the  month,  but  it  is  a  system 
that  is  training  thousands  of  citizens  In  the 
belief  that  industry  and  personal  independ- 
ence does  not  pay.    (Italics  added.) 

The  above  incidents  and  quotations 
are  at  random  from  many  which  could 
be  cited.  They  illustrate  the  character 
decay  in  progress  in  our  midst,  encour- 
aged and  fostered  by  the  false  philos- 
ophies, panaceas,  and  practices  of  the 
times.  A  few  more  decades  of  training 
children  to  grow  up  in  idleness;  of  en- 
couraging sons  and  daughters  to  take 
from  their  fathers  and  mothers  their 
meager  means  of  support  and,  while  de- 
vouring it,  to  turn  their  parents  on  the 
public  domain  to  live  as  best  they  can 
as  public  charges;  of  condoning  the 
fraudulent  practice  of  men  and  women 
disposing  of  property  and  making  false 
representations  in  order  to  qualify  for 
government  dole;  and  of  teaching  all 
the  people  that  the  government  owes 
them  economic  security  from  the 
"cradle  to  the  grave" — a  few  more  de- 
cades of  such  training  and  practices,  I 
say — and  we  shall  have  lost  the  virtues 
of  free,  independent,  self-sustaining 
men.  We  shall  merit  no  more  than 
slavery  into  which  we  shall  have  sunk. 

Some  Things  We  Cannot  Afford 

HPhere  are  some  things  to  which  we 
A  have  a  legal  right  but  which  we  can- 
not afford,  and  the  acceptance  of  pub- 
lic relief  is  one  of  them.  It  requires  too 
great  a  sacrifice  in  self-respect  and  in 
political,  temporal,  and  spiritual  in- 
dependence. It  requires  too  great  a 
sacrifice  in  industry  and  thrift,  those 
sterling  virtues  possessed  by  the  people 
who  built  our  nation  and  established 
us  in  these  mountain  valleys.  For  these 
reasons,  we  could  not  afford  to  accept 
public  relief,  even  though  we  might  be 
assured  that  it  will  always  be  available. 
We  have,  however,  no  such  assurance. 
( Continued  on  page  1 89 ) 

141 


(L*liza  /\.  J5k 


now  5 


w 


Sketch  of 


I ast  summer,  Dr.  D.  Sterling  Wheel- 
wright and  his  wife  did  much  re- 
■J  search  gathering  early  western 
poetry.  They  spent  some  time  in  our 
church  library  and  then  went  to  the 
great  Bancroft  Library  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  California  at  Berkeley.  In  in- 
troducing himself,  as  I  recall  his  con- 
versation with  me  later,  he  said  the  pur- 
pose of  his  visit  was  to  collect  the  best 
early  western  poetry.  He  was  prompt- 
ly told  that  there  is  but  one  outstanding, 
early  pioneer  western  poet- — Eliza  R. 
Snow  of  the  Mormon  church.  To  his 
great  surprise,  he  was  then  shown  a 
large  collection  of  her  writings. 

In  this  collection  is  "A  Sketch  of  My 
Life,"  by  Eliza  R.  Snow,  written  at  Mr. 
Bancroft's  request.  She  assisted  him  in 
gathering  material  for  his  History  of 
Utah.  I  believe  no  one  at  church  head- 
quarters knew  anything  about  this 
production  from  my  aunt's  pen  until  Dr. 
Wheelwright  told  me  of  it.  After  some 
correspondence  with  Mrs.  Eleanor 
Bancroft,  assistant  to  the  director  of 
the  Bancroft  Library,  she  kindly  had  a 
photostatic  copy  made  of  the  entire 
-forty-nine    large    folio    pages, 


of  the  different  styles  of  favorite  antes. 
When  quite  young,  I  commenced  writrmg 
for  publication  in  various  journals,  which 
I  continued  for  several  years,  over  assumed 
signatures — wishing  to  be  useful  as  a  writer,. 
and  unknown  as  an  author. 

I  was  early  taught  to  respect  the  Bible, 
and  in  Sabbath  schools  recited  much  of  the 
New  Testament — at  times  reciting  seven  of 
the  long  chapters  in  the  Gospels,  at  a  lesson. 
My  heart  yearned  for  the  gifts  and  mani- 
festations of  which  those  ancient  apostles 
testified.  Sometimes  I  wished  I  had  lived 
when  Jesus  Christ  was  on  the  earth,  that  I 
might  have  witnessed  the  power  of  God 
manifested  through  the  Gospel.  But  alas! 
the  time  of  such  manifestations  was  gone 
forever,  so  said  the  clergy. 

I  listened  to  Alexander  Campbell  with 
deep  interest,  and  became  interested  in  the 
ancient  Prophets.  He  and  Walter  Scott 
and  Sidney  Rigdon  were  frequent  visitors 
at  my  father's  house.  They  assisted  me  in 
my  Bible  studies.  When  I  heard  of  Joseph 
Smith  as  a  Prophet  of  God  revealing  the 
Gospel  again,  it  was  what  my  soul  hungered 
for,  but  I  thought  it  too  good  to  be  true. 

Soon  after  this  the  most  impressive  testi- 
monies I  had  ever  heard  were  given  by  two 
of  the  witnesses  to  the  Book  of  Mormon. 

Aunt  Eliza  was  baptized  by  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  April  5,  1835.  To 


sketch- 
beautifully  written  in  Aunt  Eliza's  own  quote  further: 

ha5d-                                      ill,,,.  In  the  spring  of  1836,  I  taught  a  select 

The  manuscript  is  a  valuable  addition  school  for  young  ladies,  and  boarded  with 

to   the   information   we   already   have  the  Prophet's  family.    January,    1837,  by 

about  this  noted  Mormon  poetess,  writ-  solicitation,  I  resided  in  the  family  of  Joseph 


Ztl  l*i 


tided,  /5eJt>l^  &,<$*& jL*.a/,/w# 


di 


t/t.  &>+*-<* 


*ten* 


t**</tJt„ 


**n**tj  1*ij^**ui£**t  >*ftZu*  ei$J)k4t}  £U$t£Mjit. 


Smith,  and  taught  his  family  school,  and 
had  ample  opportunity  to  mark  his  daily 
walk  and  conversation  as  a  Prophet  of  God. 


er,  organizer,  and  leader  among  women. 
Some  of  the  most  important  experiences 
in  her  life  are  told  here  for  the  first 

""The  sketch,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  Here  she  gives  an  impressive  char- 

accompanying  photostats,  is  signed  acter  sketch  of  Joseph  Smith.  Then  she 
Eliza  R.  Snow  Smith.  It  is  indexed  in 
the  Bancroft  Library  as  Eliza  Smith,  not 
Snow.  Many  of  the  incidents  and  ex- 
periences told  in  this  manuscript  are  en- 
tirely new.  We  have  no  other  record 
of  them.  Others  throw  new  light  on 
facts  recorded  elsewhere.  The  follow- 
ing is  quoted  from  the  writing : 

My  mother  considered  a  practical  knowl- 
edge of  housekeeping  the  best  and  most  ef- 
ficient foundation  on  which  to  build  a 
magnificent  structure  of  womanly  accom- 
plishments. My  parents  carefully  imprest 
on  the  minds  of  their  children,  that  useful 
labor  is  honorable — idleness  and  waste  of 
time  disgraceful  and  sinful.  Book-studies 
and  schooling  were  ever  present.  I  was 
partial  to  poetical  works,  and  when  very 
young  frequently  made  attempts  at  imitation 

142 


ELIZA  R.  SNOW,  TAKEN  FROM  A  STEEL 
ENGRAVING 


tells  of  the  Kirtland  persecution,  the 
migration  to  Missouri,  of  the  sufferings 
and  persecution  and  the  move  to  Quin- 
cy,  Illinois,  where  she  wrote  several  ar- 
ticles for  the  press  over  the  nom-de- 
plume  of  "A  Mormon  Girl."  This  is 
while  the  Prophet  was  in  Liberty  Jail. 

When  the  Saints  commenced  gather- 
ing in  Commerce  ( afterwards  Nauvoo ) , 
Aunt  Eliza  accepted  an  invitation  to 
teach  Sidney  Rigdon's  family  school. 
She  tells  of  the  "building  and  occupa- 
tion of  Nauvoo,"  of  her  marriage  to  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  and  living  with 
his  family  in  the  Mansion  House,  and 
of  the  organization  of  the  Relief  So- 
ciety. The  awful  tragedy  of  the  martyr- 
dom is  vividly  pictured. 

Following  an  account  of  the  persecu- 


0 Ol4AAtji^xJk-*-i'C 


y  **n-**s*-*x. 


urh*-i**  7  o^tt*7  t&jC, 


THE   IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


My  Life 


// 


(&  oLef\oi  C.  __V 


Banorpft  Library 
Uniw.a  it y  of  C  al  if  omia 
_|         Elixa  Smith 

Sketch  of  my  Lif- 


J 


now 


tions  and  sufferings  of  the  Saints  in 
Nauvoo,  Aunt  Eliza  tells  of  the  evacua- 
tion of  that  beautiful  city  by  the  Saints 
and  then  begins  the  story  of  the  Pioneer 
journey  across  Iowa  to  Council  Bluffs, 
the  building  of  Winter  Quarters,  the 
sojourn  there  during  the  winter  of  1 846 
and  '47,  and  the  long  and  difficult  jour- 
ney in  1847  to  the  Salt  Lake  Valley. 
This  account  is  a  vivid  synopsis  of  Aunt 
Eliza's  Pioneer  Diary  which  has  been 
appearing  in  The  Improvement  Era 
since  March  1943. 

Pollowing  the  arrival  in  the  valley, 
■*■*  Aunt  Eliza  writes  a  brief  biography 
of  the  rest  of  her  life  up  to  within  three 
years  of  her  death.  She  writes: 

Our  first  winter  in  the  mountains  was 
delightful.  Most  of  us  were  houseless:  and 
what  the  result  would  have  been,  had  that 


and  in  the  fall,  my  half  was  a  half-bushel 
of  beautiful  potatoes.  Public  meetings  were 
held  in  the  "Lord's  parlor,"  i.e.,  out  of  doors, 
plenty  of  room  for  new-comers,  with  suf- 
ficient ground-floor  to  sit  or  stand  upon. 

These  are  but  disconnected  sentences 
from  about  thirty  pages  of  the  manu- 
script, following  which  Aunt  Eliza  tells 
of  her  appointment  by  President  Brig- 
ham  Young  to  reorganize  the  Relief  So- 
ciety of  the  church  in  Salt  Lake  City 
and  then  "to  assist  the  bishops  to  or- 
ganize branches  of  the  society  in  their 
respective  wards.  Then  President 
Young  gave  me  another  mission — to  in- 
struct the  sisters  throughout  the  church. 
I  could  not  then  form  an  adequate  esti- 
mate of  the  magnitude  of  the  work.  In 
1876  I  was  called  upon  to  report  the 
charitable  work  of  Utah  women,  in  the 
Fair  in  Philadelphia.  ...  In  1867  I  or- 


>««.; 


//Uvu.   ttu.  t^*<rU.  *****(.   A*v*-«.  *,njt  £*iU-  Otji+i^  Aam  fx, 
//%*  tx*~u+.  b+JfUrtJ**-  ?ZuM  tv^fii  M^U.  **xl+*j£  tntA  *rJf/i 


winter  been  as  severe  as  the  succeeding  ones, 
the  Lord  only  knows.  The  women  devoted 
much  time  administering  to  the  sick,  and  in 
fervent  prayer  to  God  in  behalf  of  our 
brethren.  From  the  Indians  we  learned  the 
use  of  the  wild  "Sego-root."  My  Indian 
girl,  Sally  (whose  Indian  name  was  Pidash) , 
became  neat  and  tasteful  in  dress,  although 
at  first  she  cronched  bones  like  a  dog.  Soon 
after  our  arrival,  a  tall  Liberty-Pole  was 
erected,  and  from  its  summit,  the  "Stars 
and  Stripes"  seemed  to  float  with,  if  pos- 
sible, more  significance  than  they  were  wont 
on  eastern  breezes.  The  second  season  a 
tragic  fate  awaited  our  crops.  Precisely 
corresponding  with  descriptions  of  ancient 
locust  raids  on  the  Eastern  continent,  crick- 
ets of  enormous  size,  came  down  from  the 
mountains,  moving  in  a  solid  phalanx — tak- 
ing everything  before  them.  Providence  sent 
a  host  of  sea-gulls  to  our  rescue.  Those  gulls 
in  large  swarms,  went  through  the  invading 
army,  swallowing  the  crickets.  As  their 
stomachs  filled,  they  vomited  and  filled 
again,  until  the  premises  were  entirely 
cleared. 

A  company  of  men  was  sent  to  California 
for  seeds  and  cuttings.  I  gave  75c  for  six 
or  seven  little  potatoes,  all  of  which  I  could 
hold  in  one  hand.    I  let  them  out  to  raise, 

MARCH,  1944 


ganized  the  first  Society  of  Young 
Ladies,  under  President  Young's  di- 
rection." 

Aunt  Eliza  also  gives  the  first  full 
account  we  have  of  the  organization  of 
the  Primary  Associations.  "In  1880," 
she  writes,  "I  traveled  one  thousand 
miles  by  team  over  jolting  rocks  and 
through  bedded  sand,  occasionally 
camping  out  at  night  on  long  drives." 

The  "Sketch"  includes  an  account  of 
her  many  publications — some  nine  vol- 
umes, of  the  promotion  of  the  culture 
and  manufacture  of  silk,  organization  of 
the  "Silk  Association,"  organization  of 
the  Deseret  Hospital,  labors  in  the 
"House  of  the  Lord,"  administering  to 
the  sick,  writing  for  publication,  proof- 
reading, an  extensive  correspondence 
and  many  other  activities  and  labors  of 
love,  "all  of  which,"  she  says,  "is  cer- 
tainly worth  of  a  higher  tribute  of  grati- 
tude to  God,  the  Giver  of  all  good,  than 
I  am  capable  of  expressing." 

The  "Sketch"  will  be  reproduced  in 
full  in  the  Relief  Society  Magazine. 


THE    TIE 
THAT  BINDS 


By  FRED  W. 
MOELLER 


As  Latter-day  Saints,  we  pride  our- 
selves on  being  "different.".  But 
it  is  not  enough  to  be  different. 
We  must  also  be  better. 

Mormonism  is  taught  best  by  ex- 
ample. In  other  eyes,  it  is  always  the 
seemingly  small  weaknesses  which 
loom  large.  They  cannot  be  disre- 
garded. 

Our  failings  are  a  tie  binding  us  to  the 
"ways  of  the  world,"  a  world  from 
whose  shortcomings  we  should  wrest 
ourselves  free. 

Why  then  do  we  refuse  to  give  up 
certain  worldly  ways  in  order  that  we 
may  live  by  a  method  which  we  have 
chosen  as  better  than  any  other?  The 
word  "sacrifice"  is  very  often  used  in 
giving  up  these  ways  of  the  world. 
That  is  not  actually  a  sacrifice.  In  order 
to  sacrifice  we  must  have  something  of 
value  to  give  up.  A  life  of  dissolute 
pleasure  can  be  of  no  value  to  us  once 
we  have  learned  the  laws  of  the  Lord. 
We  cannot  hope  to  enjoy  what  we  know 
is  wrong.  Our  conscience  won't  let 
us.    Yet  we  foolishly  continue  to  try. 

It  seems  quite  easy  for  us  to  refrain 
from  the  more  obvious  transgressions. 
Most  people  can,  outside  the  church  as 
well  as  in  it.  Having  accomplished 
this  much  we  feel  very  righteous.  But 
the  test,  the  real  challenge,  comes  when 
we  are  asked  to  refrain  from  the  little 
things.  Christ,  in  his  sermon  on  the 
mount,  stressed  their  importance: 

Whosoever  therefore  shall  break  one  of 
these  least  commandments,  and  shall  teach 
men  so,  he  shall  be  called  the  least  in  the 
kingdom  of  heaven:  but  whosoever  shall  do 
and  teach  them,  the  same  shall  be  called 
great  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

For  I  say  unto  you,  That  except  your 
righteousness  shall  exceed  the  righteousness 
of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees,  ye  shall  in  no 
case  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 
(Matthew  5:19,  20.) 

We  are  afraid  of  being  alone,  of 
acting  independently.  Yet,  being  alone, 
we  discover  ourselves;  we  become 
somebody.  We  come  to  be  known  as 
an  individual,  not  as  just  "one  of  the 
gang." 

We  sacrifice  ( and  this  time  the  word 
is  "sacrifice")  our  ideals  for  the  sake 
of  being  with  others,  of  doing  as  they 
do,  because  we  believe  they  are  "living" 
and  we  want  to  live  too.  We  are  afraid 
we  are  going  to  miss  something  and  so 
want  to  be  out  where  things  are  happen- 
ing. Instead,  we  could  be  making  things 
happen  ourselves. 

Most  of  us  are  waiting  to  live  when 

we  should  be  living.    Our  children  are 

(Continued  on  page  180) 

143 


^Jivckaeoloalcal 


ueoioawa 

DISCOVERIES  M 


limine 


the 


The  men  of  deep  religious  faith,  who  alone  count  for  the  progress  of 
the  human  race,  will  rejoice  and  take  courage  at  a  fresh  proof  that  the 
Father  has  never  left  himself  without  witnesses  among  men,  and  that  even 
the  most  unlikely  elements  have  gone  to  prepare  the  world  for  him  who 
was  and  still  is  to  come. — C.  H.  W.  Johns,  Queens  College,  Cambridge. 


£5u  ]^re5ident 


The  Belgian  writer,  Maurice 
Maeterlinck,  has  shown  in 
his  book  entitled  The  Great 
Secret  that  records  and  other  remains 
of  antiquity  have  revealed  some  as- 
tounding information  concerning  peo- 
ples who  lived  at  the  dawn  of  human 
history.  One  of  the  surprises  is  that  the 
earliest  peoples,  instead  of  being  barbar- 
ous or  uncultured,  were  civilized  and 
possessed  a  culture  of  high  order.  The 
greatest  creations  of  the  Babylonians 
date  four  thousand  years  before  Christ 
was  born.  The  Babylonians  and  Per- 
sians used  brick  instead  of  stone  and  left 
imperishable  records  written  on  clay 
tablets.  The  annual  inundations  of  the 
Tigris  and  Euphrates  deposited  sand 
and  clay  of  fine  quality  from  which  their 
writing  material  was  made. 

Another  strange  thing  is  that  "the 
well-kneaded,  but  unbaked  inscriptions 
lying  for  centuries  under  the  ground, 
when  carefully  taken  from  their  resting 
places  of  hundreds  of  years,  often  ap- 
pear as  if  they  were  written  yesterday." 
Such  tablets  last  indefinitely.  The 
scribes  wrote  with  a  stylus  made  of 
wood  or  metal.  When  used  to  write  in 
clay,  an  impression  was  made  like  a 
wedge;  hence  the  term  "cuneiform 
writing."  Great  libraries  have  been  dis- 
covered by  archaeologists  in  ancient 
Nineveh  and  other  places  of  Chaldea 
and  Babylon.  Thousands  of  letters  have 
been  brought  to  light  from  about  four 
thousand  years  before  the  Christian  era, 
and  they  show  that  every  man  of  stand- 
ing in  ancient  Babylon  had  a  seal,  the 
impression  of  which  upon  a  letter  served 
as  his  signature.  The  fifteenth  chapter 
of  Numbers,  verses  38,  39,  refers  to  such 
signatures. 

Some  years  ago  the  library  of  Ashur- 
banipal  was  discovered  at  Nineveh. 
This  king  ruled  from  668  to  626  B.C., 
and  thousands  of  tablets  have  been 
taken  from  this  collection  and  deposited 
in  the  libraries  of  the  world.  Always  a 
student  of  the  past,  the  king  set  his 
learned  men  to  transcribing  all  the  liter- 
ature of  antiquity,  writing  it  down  in  the 
capital  of  Nineveh.  The  books  are  ob- 
jects of  beauty,  for  even  a  clay  tablet 
is  beautiful  if  it  contains  a  record  of  the 
history  of  man.  The  books  or  bricks 
open  to  us  in  these  modern  days  untold 
wealth  of  information  as  to  what  people 
did  and  thought  in  the  centuries  before 
the  Christian  era. 

144 


The  Merchant  Ships  of  the 
Phoenicians 

Phoenicia  lay  along  the  eastern  coast 
of  the  Mediterranean  Sea  and  as  early 
as  1 ,000  B.  C.  its  people  were  the 
wealthiest  merchants  of  that  time.  Its 
two  principal  cities  were  Tyre  and 
Sidon,  the  latter  being  the  most  impor- 


about  him  on  every  side,  until  the  Lord  put 
them  under  the  soles  of  his  feet. 

But  now  the  Lord  my  God  hath  given  me 
rest  on  every  side,  so  that  there  is  neither 
adversary  nor  evil  occurrent. 

And  behold,  I  purpose  to  build  an  house 
unto  the  name  of  the  Lord  my  God,  as  the 
Lord  spake  unto  David  my  father,  saying, 
Thy  son,  whom  I  will  set  upon  thy  throne 
in  thy  room,  he  shall  build  an  house  unto 
my  name. 

. . .  And  it  came  to  pass  when  Hiram  heard 


VIEW  OF  THE 

ANCIENT  CITY  OF 

NIPPUR, 

'  IN   ANCIENT 

BABYLONIA, 

SHOWING  THE 

EIGHTY-FOOT  WALL 

ENCLOSING  THE 

CASTLE 
EXCAVATED    BY 

AMERICAN 
ARCHE0L0GISTS 


jjr* 


Photograph  by 

Underwood  6 

Underwood 


tant  city  of  the  two,  considered  from  the 
standpoint  of  wealth.  In  the  fifth  chap- 
ter of  I  Kings,  we  read: 

And  Hiram  king  of  Tyre  sent  his  servants 
unto  Solomon;  for  he  had  heard  that  they 
had  anointed  him  king  in  the  room  of  his 
father;  for  Hiram  was  ever  a  lover  of  David. 

And  Solomon  sent  to  Hiram,  saying,  Thou 
knowest  how  that  David  my  father  could 
not  build  an  house  unto  the  name  of  the 
Lord   his    God   for   the   wars  which   were 


of  the  words  of  Solomon,  that  he  rejoiced 
greatly,  and  said,  Blessed  be  the  Lord  this 
day,  which  hath  given  unto  David  a  wise 
son  over  this  great  people. 

...  So  Hiram  gave  Solomon  cedar  trees 
and  fir  trees,  according  to  all  his  desire. 

And  Solomon  gave  Hiram  twenty  thou- 
sand measures  of  wheat  for  food  to  his 
household,  and  twenty  measures  of  pure  oil: 
thus  gave  Solomon  to  Hiram  year  by  year. 

And  the  Lord  gave  Solomon  wisdom,  as 
he  promised  him;  and  there  was  peace  be- 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


BIBLE 


cJLeui  (L*dt 


9 


at  w  oun 


9 


OF  THE   FIRST   COUNCIL 
OF   THE   SEVENTY 


oars  from  Senir  (Mount  Hermon) ,  Lebanon, 
and  Bashan,  he  refers  to  the  fine  linen  with 
embroidered  work  from  Egypt  for  the  sails; 
while  blue  and  purple  work  were  imported 
from  the  isles  of  Elisha  in  the  Aegean  Sea. 
"The  inhabitants  of  Sidon  and  Arvad  were 
thy  mariners,  thy  wise  men  were  thy  pilots." 
The  prophet  then  deals  with  the  caulkers, 
and  mentions  that  the  Persians,  the  Lydians, 
and  the  men  of  Libya  were  the  fighting  men. 
Returning  to  commercial  matters,  Tarshish 
(probably  a  port  in  India)  traded  in  silver, 
iron,  and  lead.  Javan  (the  Ionian  Greeks), 
Tubal  (the  Balkans),  dealt  in  slaves  and 
brass-work.  The  house  of  Tegarmah 
(Armenia)  brought  horses,  horsemen,  and 
mules.  Syria  traded  in  emeralds,  purple  and 
embroidered  work,  fine  linen,  coral,  and 
agate.  Damascus  dealt  in  Tyrian  manufac- 
tures, while  Dan  and  Javan  imported  bright 


— Photograph  by  Underwood  5  Underwood 

CEDARS  OF  LEBANON,  ONCE  MIGHTY  GROVES 
THAT  SUPPLIED  WOOD  FOR  SOLOMON'S  TEMPLE 


rween  Hiram  and  Solomon,  and  they  two 
made  a  league  together.    (I  Kings  5:1-12.) 

About  the  year  1250  B.C.,  trading 
stations  were  established  along  the 
Mediterranean  coast  and  farther  into 
the  isles  of  the  sea  and  beyond  the 
Straits  of  Gibraltar.  It  is  now  known 
that  tin  was  brought  to  Tyre  and  Sidon 
from  England.  Wherever  they  went, 
the  Phoenicians  sold  fine  linens,  dyed 
woolen  goods,  and  glasswares.  Accord- 
ing to  Sir  Percy  Sykes  of  the  Royal 
Geographical  Society  of  London,  the 
Phoenician  fleets  traded  in  the  Red  Sea 
and  opened  up  commercial  relations 
with  India.  In  this  connection,  the 
prophet  Ezekiel  wrote  one  of  the  most 
vivid  accounts  of  the  trade  relations  of 
Tyre  early  in  the  sixth  century  B.C. 
The  twenty-sixth  chapter  of  the  proph- 
et's book  is  one  of  the  finest  pieces  of 
literature  ever  written  on  the  economic 
life  of  the  people.  It  is  summarized  by 
Sir  Percy  Sykes  in  these  words : 

Beginning  with  timber  for  the  ships  and 

MARCH,  1944 


iron,  cassia,  and  calamus  (an  aromatic 
root).  Arabia  supplied  sheep  and  goats, 
while  spices  of  every  description  and  gold 
were  brought  from  many  foreign  parts  of  the 
then  known  world. 

The  art  of  navigation  goes  back  to 
the  dawn  of  history.  In  the  earliest 
Egyptian  and  Chaldean  records,  refer- 
ences are  made  to  ships  and  navigation. 
The  great  ruler  of  Chaldea,  Hammurabi, 
united  the  empire,  and  not  only  im- 
proved and  extended  the  system  of  irri- 
gation of  Chaldea,  but  he  promulgated 
a  code  of  laws  which  in  part  related  to 
shipping  and  navigation. 

The  old  navigators  depended  upon 
the  stars  to  steer  by,  for  the  Chaldeans 
were  versed  in  astronomy  and  math- 
ematics. They  divided  the  year  into 
twelve  months,  corresponding  to  the 
signs  of  the  Zodiac  and  counted  in  doz- 
ens and  sixties.  They  divided  the  sun's 
course  into  360  degrees,  just  as  we  do, 
and  their  day  into  twelve  double  hours. 
Each  hour  was  divided  into  sixty  min- 
utes, and  the  year  into  twelve  months. 
(W.  H.  Whall  in  Romance  of  Naviga- 
tion. ) 


Discoveries  Which  Illumine  the 
Bible 

"D  ecent  discoveries  in  Babylonia,  As- 
*^  syria,  Egypt  and  other  ancient  na- 
tions which  illumine  the  Bible  are  num- 
erous. The  sites  of  many  cities  like  Ur 
of  the  Chaldees,  Babylon,  Ashur, 
Nineveh,  and  Calah  have  been  ex- 
cavated. Thousands  of  documents 
brought  to  light  bear  in  some  way  on 
the  Bible.  For  example,  an  epic  of  the 
creation  which  was  circulated  in  Baby- 
lon and  Assyria  in  the  seventh  century 
before  Christ  has  been  discovered.  It  is 
written  on  a  beautifully  made  clay  tab- 
let. To  Babylonia  and  to  Egypt  man- 
kind owes  the  working  out  of  her  initial 
problems  of  civilization,  the  process  of 
agriculture,  the  making  of  bricks,  the 
working  of  stone,  the  manufacture  and 
use  of  the  ordinary  implements  of  life, 
the  development  of  mathematics  and 
astronomy.  They  knew  how  to  build 
large  houses,  and  their  bridges  and 
roads  are  still  discovered  with  the  spade 
of  the  archaeologist.  But  the  "higher 
spiritual  concepts  which  have  now  be- 
come the  heritage  of  man  neither  Baby- 
lonia nor  Egypt  was  fitted  to  contribute. 
These  came  through  the  agency  of  other 
peoples." 

The  Bible  has  many  references  to 
gold  and  precious  stones  desired  in  an- 
cient times  as  we  desire  them  now.  The 
romance  of  the  jewel  is  an  interesting 
subject.  The  word  "jewel"  means  a 
"thing  of  joy."  A  famous  passage  in 
the  Book  of  Job  gives  us  this  truth: 

As  for  the  earth,  out  of  it  cometh  bread, 
and  under  it  is  turned  up  as  it  were  by  fire. 
The  stones  of  it  are  the  place  of  sapphires, 
and  it  hath  dust  of  gold. 

People  made  themselves  fine  with  jewels 
thousands  of  years  ago.  In  the  Book  of 
Genesis  we  find  that  the  servant  of 
Abraham,  who  was  sent  into  Mesopo- 
tamia to  find  a  wife  of  Abraham's  tribe 
for  Isaac,  gave  to  Rebekah  "a  golden 
earring  of  half  a  shekel  weight,"  and 
after  the  betrothal  presented  to  her 
jewels  of  silver  and  jewels  of  gold.  We 
recall  how  Pharaoh  wore  a  ring  upon 
his  hand  which  he  took  off  and  put  upon 
Joseph's  hand,  and  he  also  put  a  gold 
chain  about  his  neck. 

If  we  turn  to  the  sacred  writings  of 
other  religions  we  find  references  to 
jewels  as  marks  of  love,  honor,  and 
adoration.  It  is  said  that  the  pearl  was 
the  first  beautiful  stone  which  fascinated 
man,  and  gold,  washed  from  the  sands 
of  rivers,  was  used  from  earliest  times. 
Gold  ornaments  wrought  nearly  three 
thousand  years  ago  have  been  discov- 
ered in  Egyptian  tombs  "and  of  work- 
manship so  good  as  to  put  much  modern 
work  to  shame."  A  Hindu  philosopher 
once  wrote  about  the  diamond:  "She 
who  wears  a  diamond  adorns  herself 
with  the  pure  rays  of  creation's  dawn." 
Records  of  this  jewel  go  back  at  least 
five  thousand  years,  and  it  is  no  fanci- 
ful statement  that  the  stones  which 
glistened  on  the  head  of  the  queen  of 
Sheba  were  diamonds. 

Tyre  was  the  chief  market  for  jewels 
(Concluded  on  page  188) 

145 


5L  CONSECRATION  MOVEMENT 

'50 's 


Part   II — Conclusion 

We  may  now  return  to  the  ques- 
tion why,  if  actual  transfers  of 
property  did  not  occur,  the  deeds 
of  consecration  described  in  Part  I  of 
the  present  study  (See  Era  for  Febru- 
ary 1944,  page  80)  were  made  at  all 
and  why  in  1 855-62  rather  than  at  some 
other  time.  The  Mormons  who  col- 
onized Utah  were  largely  those  who 
had  been  thwarted  in  Missouri  and  ex- 
pelled from  Illinois,  and  they  carried 
with  them  the  conviction  that  they 
must,  to  please  God,  observe  the  com- 
mandments as  revealed  through  the 
Prophet.  It  will  later  appear  that  not 
all  were  in  complete  agreement  on  the 
meaning  of  the  Prophet's  words.  The 
most  vigorous  and  scholarly  exponent 
of  Joseph  Smith's  ideas  was  Orson 
Pratt,  and  it  will  remind  the  reader  of 
the  background  of  beliefs  by  which  the 
Mormons  were  influenced,  if  we  sum- 
marize a  discussion  of  the  principles  of 
consecration  as  presented  by  the  emi- 
nent expositor  during  the  period  under 
review: 

In  1831,  before  the  Church  was  a  year  old, 
the  Lord  gave  to  the  Saints  through  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  this  command:  "Be 
one,  and  if  ye  are  not  one,  ye  are  not  mine." 
(Doc.  &  Cov.  38:27.)  This  command  em- 
braces all  other  commands.  The  Saints  are 
not  only  one  in  doctrine,  but  they  are  to  be 
made  one  in  temporal  things.  Just  as  the 
Saints  in  the  Primitive  Church  and  the 
Christian  Church  among  the  Nephites,  like 
the  residents  of  the  Zion  of  Enoch,  overcame 
covetousness  and  enjoyed  equal  claims  to 
the  common  stock,  so  must  the  same  order 
be  realized  among  the  Latter-day  Saints.  "It 
is  not  given  that  one  man  should  possess 
that  which  is  above  another,  wherefore  the 
world  lieth  in  sin."  (Doc.  &  Cov.  49:20.) 

Displeased  with  the  Saints  in  Jackson 
County  for  failing  to  live  according  to  this 
law  of  equality,  the  Lord  permitted  the 
Gentiles  to  turn  them  out  and  substituted  the 
law  of  partial  consecration  ( the  tithing  sys- 
tem) to  be  observed  until  they  could  develop 
sufficient  faith  and  will  to  inaugurate  the 
higher  order.  But  this  inferior  law  of  con- 
secration is  not  observed,  for  its  require- 
ment that  all  surplus  property  of  one  join- 
ing the  Church  be  consecrated  and  a  tenth 
of  one's  income  paid  thereafter  is  generally 
violated.  Nothing  is  more  certain,  however, 
than  that  the  Saints  will  be  deprived  of  a 
fulness  of  the  glory  of  the  Celestial  king- 
dom until  they  accept  these  great  priniciples 
in  regard  to  property. 

The  attitudes  of  members  of  a  well  regu- 
lated family  toward  family  property  should 
be  observed  by  all  Church  members  toward 
"consecrated"  property,  title  to  all  of  which 
in  the  ideal  system  will  be  in  the  Church. 
Inasmuch  as  members  of  the  Church  vary 
greatly  in  the  possession  of  knowledge  and 
ability  to  manage  property,  the  property  of 
the  Church,  under  the  law  of  consecration, 
must  be  placed  under  the  management  of 
those  most  competent.  Thus  the  bishops  are 
to  appoint  to  every  family  their  steward- 
ships and  receive  from  them  all  surpluses. 
Under  this  plan  the  curse  of  inequality  of 

146 


possessions  leading  to  class  distinctions,  un- 
equal opportunity  and  pride  will  be 
avoided.  .  .  . 

The  system  would  make  the  members  rich 
as  a  people,  for  it  would  bring  all  the  pos- 
sessions of  the  Church  under  the  manage- 
ment of  the  wisest  and  most  experienced 
men.  Stewardships  would  be  reduced  or 
enlarged  from  time  to  time  to  bring  about  the 
most  effective  utilization  of  property.  There 
would  be  buying  and  selling  and  exchang- 
ing as  under  the  system  of  private  owner- 
ship, and  there  would  be  none  of  the  con- 
fusion that  characterizes  common  ownership 
with  undivided  responsibility.  The  control 
and  use  of  wealth,  though  it  belongs  to  all, 
will  be  similar  to  the  condition  existing  with 
respect  to  knowledge  and  spiritual  gifts. 
Such  gifts  are  available  to  all  to  the  extent 
that  training,  experience,  and  worthiness 
make  their  enjoyment  possible.  So  it  is  to 
be  with  property.  Men  of  great  ability  will 
manage  great  estates,  but  only  as  agents  for 
all  members  of  the  social  order.  There  will 
be  neither  rich  nor  poor,  for  all  have  access 
to  the  store  of  goods.1 

Three  steps,  it  will  be  noted,  are  to 
be  taken  in  entering  into  the  order  of 
stewardships :  first,  the  transfer  of  all  the 
property  of  the  member  to  an  agent  of 
the  church;  second,  the  allotment  of  a 
stewardship  to  the  member  by  the  bish- 
op; third,  the  periodic  transfer  to  the 
bishop  of  the  surpluses  realized  from  the 
operation  of  the  stewardship.  The  con- 
secration of  properties  discussed  in  the 
first  article  was  the  first  step  in  a  re- 
newed attempt  to  realize  such  a  system 
and  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  Presi- 
dent Young  in  1854  designed  to  estab- 
lish the  system  in  its  entirety.  It  will 
help  us  to  understand  this  episode  in  the 
history  of  the  church  if  we  attempt  to 
explain  why  it  occurred  in  the  middle 
'fifties  rather  than  at  some  other  time. 

HPhe  collapse  of  the  program  in  Jack- 
■*■  son  County  in  1833  was  followed 
by  futile  attempts  to  repossess  Zion  by 
appeals  to  government.  Meanwhile,  the 
tithing  system  was  revealed  as  a  means 
of  church  support  and  as  a  "lesser  law," 
the  observance  of  which  would  prepare 
selfish  and  imperfect  people  for  the  sys- 
tem of  consecration  and  stewardships 
when  times  would  become  propitious. 
That  times  were  not  favorable  during 
the  sojourn  of  the  Saints  in  Missouri  is 
obvious  and  there  was  insufficient 
stability  during  the  Nauvoo  period  to 
warrant  renewal  of  the  Jackson  County 
experiment.  At  any  rate,  no  effort  was 
made  in  that  direction. 

For  two  years  after  the  martyrdom  of 
the  Prophet,  Brigham  Young  and  the 
apostles  had  to  contend  with  dissension 
from  within  the  church  and  bitter  op- 
position from  without  that  led  to  the 
expulsion  of  the  Saints  from  Illinois.  No 

iTfte  Seer.  July.  1854 


system  of  property  control  could  have 
been  devised  that  would  have  brought  a 
closer  approach  to  equality  than  was 
realized  during  the  migration  to  Utah. 
Compelling  circumstances  favored  the 
maintenance  of  a  spirit  of  close  coop- 
eration during  the  first  two  or  three 
years  of  settlement  in  Utah.  The  allot- 
ment of  land  was  controlled  by  the 
church;  holdings  were  small  and  full 
utilization  was  required.  Differences  in 
wealth  were  insignificant.  The  Saints 
gave  generously  of  their  labor  and  prod- 
ucts to  provide  public  improvements, 
support  immigration,  and  establish  the 
poor. 

Accordingly,  until  after  1850  there 
was  little  reason  except  in  theory  for 
a  system  of  consecration.  By  that  time 
the  gold  rush  had  emphatically  revealed 
the  worldliness  of  many  of  the  Saints. 
It  struck  the  young  colonies  with  cy- 
clonic force  and  threatened  to  uproot 
them.  Many  sold  or  traded  their  hold- 
ings and  joined  the  caravans  headed  for 
California.  Brigham  Young  held  the 
faithful  with  appeals  to  their  good  sense 
and  their  belief  in  the  destiny  of  the 
church,  and  the  fearful  by  depicting  the 
evils  that  would  come  upon  them.  He 
soon  came  to  believe  that  consecration 
of  properties  might  hold  more  of  the 
wavering  ones  in  check.  He  gave  ex- 
pression to  this  thought  in  a  character- 
istically vigorous  sermon  at  Parowan 
from  which  a  few  lines  may  be  quoted: 

If  the  people  had  done  their  duty  and  con- 
secrated all  their  property  to  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  they  could 
not  have  gone  away  and  lost  their  souls.  .  . . 
I  want  to  have  you  consecrate  your  property 
if  you  wish  it,  if  not,  do  as  you  please  about 
it.  If  any  man  will  say,  "I  am  going  to 
apostatize,"  I  will  advise  him  to  consecrate 
all  he  has  that  he  might  be  kept  with  the 
Saints  and  saved,  so  that  if  you  are  tempted 
to  go  away,  you  may  feel  it  best  to  stay 
where  your  treasure  is.a 

On  the  heels  of  the  gold  rush  ap- 
peared another  threat  to  the  coopera- 
tive commonwealth  that  church  leaders 
were  striving  to  establish.  The  new  dis- 
turbing element  came  in  the  persons  of 
gentile  merchants  with  alluring  stocks 
of  goods,  for  which  the  Saints  were  too 
prone  to  part  with  their  limited  supplies 
of  cash  or  to  exchange  their  staples  at 
unfavorable  prices.  Brigham  Young  and 
his  associates  had  purposed  a  self-suffic- 
ing economy  in  which  the  needs  of  the 
Mormon  people  would  be  adequately 
supplied  through  their  own  efforts.  The 
amounts  paid  for  imported  goods  limited 
by  so  much  the  growth  of  home  indus- 
tries. The  wealth  of  the  merchants  was 
the  measure  of  the  impoverishment  of 

2May  18,  1855.    Ms.  in  flies  of  the  church  historian. 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


& 


u% 


PH.D. 


9 


PRESIDENT, 

LD.S.   BUSINESS   COLLEGE 


the  Saints.  While  this  issue  grew  in 
magnitude  as  time  went  on  and  led  to 
important  counter  moves  by  church 
leaders,  it  was  already  in  1852  becom- 
ing a  matter  of  concern.8. .  . 

A  third  influence  that  may  have  had 
a  bearing  on  the  revival  of  the  principle 
of  consecration  was  the  activity  of 
apostates  who  by  1852-53  had  become 
a  source  of  annoyance  to  the  Latter-day 
Saints.  They  were  denouncing  Brigham 
Young  and  other  church  leaders  from 
the  street  corners  as  the  Saints  passed 
from  the  tabernacle  services  to  their 
homes  and  were  excoriated  in  turn  from 
the  pulpit.  A  prominent  church  official, 
following  an  emphatic  warning  to  the 
apostates  by  President  Young,  ex- 
pressed his  own  feelings  in  the  follow- 
ing words: 

. . .  We  came  here  for  peace.  . .  .  Sooner  than 
be  subjected  to  a  repetition  of  these  wrongs  I 
for  one  would  rather  march  out  today  and  be 
shot  down.  .  .  .  People  have  the  privilege 
of  apostatizing  from  this  Church  .  . .  but  they 

"See   remarks  of   Ezra   T.   Benson,    Journal   of  Dis- 
courses. VI,  pp.  248-49. 


have  not  the  privilege  to  disturb  the  peace 
nor  endanger  life  or  liberty.* 

If  any  of  the  Saints  were  on  the  verge 
of  being  led  astray  by  the  attacks  of 
apostates,  the  call  to  consecrate  their 
property  was  at  once  a  challenge  to 
self-examination  and  a  cure  for  their 
doubts.   It  was  a  real  test  of  faith. 

Tn  the  above  comments  it  has  been 
*  suggested  that  the  doctrine  of  the 
consecration  of  property  was  revived  as 
a  means  of  checkmating  certain  disin- 
tegrating tendencies  that  threatened  de- 
feat to  major  church  objectives.  On  the 
positive  side  it  should  be  pointed  out 
that  the  consecration  of  property  prom- 
ised to  hasten  the  realization  of  these 
objectives.  With  imaginations  stirred 
by  the  contemplation  of  vast  stretches 
of  unappropriated  lands  capable  of  sus- 
taining an  immense  population  and  by 
the  prodigious  material  achievements 
of  the  first  few  years,  the  leaders  drew 
plans  on  a  broad  scale.  Until  1861  the 
area  of  Utah  was  nearly  three  times 
that  of  the  present  state.  To  possess  and 
people  this  inland  empire  was  a  chal- 
lenge to  the  brain  and  brawn  of  every 
man  and  woman  and  child  in  the  church 
whether  already  settled  in  the  valleys 
of  the  mountains  or  waiting  eagerly  tne 
opportunity  to  migrate  from  the  various 
centers  of  missionary  activity  where 
they  had  heard  the  gospel  and  cast  their 
lot  with  the  Saints.  Four  major  phases 
of  the  work  of  empire-building  required 
the  pooling  of  immense  amounts  of 
labor  and  capital.  These  were  proselyt- 
ing, immigration,  colonization,  and  the 
making  of  public  improvements. 

The  cost  of  missionary  work,  though 
it  bore  heavily  in  the  first  instance  on 
the  family  of  the  traveling  elder,  was 

*Parley    P.   Pratt,   Journal  of  Discourses  Vol.   I,   p. 
84   (March  27.   1853). 


largely  passed  on  in  the  missions  and  at 
home  to  those  who  assisted — by  cash 
and  labor — the  missionary  or  his  de- 
pendents. Consecration  would  result 
in  a  pooling  of  resources  and  reduce  the 
problem  of  support  of  missionary  ac- 
tivity to  one  of  relative  importance  of 
church  objectives. 

Gathering  the  Saints  from  afar  was 
a  much  heavier  and  a  much  more  ob- 
vious burden.  While  many  emigrants 
were  able  to  meet  their  own  expenses, 
there  were  thousands  anxious  to  join  the 
Saints  in  Deseret  who  had  little  or 
nothing.  To  assist  these  the  church 
leaders  organized  the  Perpetual  Emi- 
grating Fund,  intending  that  a  large 
initial  capital  should  be  gathered  by 
donations  and  maintained  by  repay- 
ments from  its  beneficiaries.  During  the 
period  we  are  discussing,  the  Fund  was 
in  its  earliest  stages  and  the  necessity  of 
building  it  up  was  a  matter  of  constant 
concern.  The  disappointing  slowness 
with  which  those  indebted  to  the  Fund 
repaid  their  obligations  and  the  depar- 
ture of  some  for  California,  leaving  the 
Fund  "holding  the  bag,"  spoke  loudly 
in  favor  of  the  system  of  consecration 
of  all  property.  Just  two  months  before 
the  conference  convened  in  which  the 
principle  of  consecration  was  urged,  a 
list  of  277  debtors  to  the  Perpetual  Em- 
igrating Fund  was  published  in  The 
Deseret  News  over  an  appeal  for  im- 
mediate settlement.  General  consecra- 
tion would  place  all  material  wealth  and 
all  labor  time  at  the  disposal  of  the  au- 
thorities of  the  church  and  would  solve 
both  the  problem  of  debt  collection  and 
that  of  enlarging  the  Emigrating  Fund. 
That  such  considerations  had  a  bearing 
on  the  decision  to  launch  the  movement 
for  consecration,  though  based  on  sup- 
position, is  very  plausible. 

( Continued  on  page  1 85 ) 


BRIGHAM 

YOUNG'S 

FLOUR  MILL 

ON  THE 

OLD 

CITY  CREEK 

CANYON 

STREAM 

WHERE  THE 

LAFAYETTE 

SCHOOL 

NOW 
STANDS 


Photograph 
courtesy  of 
Emil  Nyman 


MARCH,  1944 


MEET  RADAR...  1U 


ard 


aavcian 


f 


Bu   RoLd   W-  J4uatt 


J 


RELEASED   BY 

THE  WAR  DEPARTMENT   AND   W.P.B. 


It  was  a  stormy  night  in  1939.  Rain 
and  wind  lashed  over  the  Boston 
Airport.  It  was  no  night  for  flying. 
You  couldn't  see  your  hand  ten  inches 
from  your  face.  But  nevertheless  a 
young  pilot  named  Jack  Jaynes  was  go- 
ing up.  He  was  going  to  fly  in  this 
treacherous  night  in  the  face  of  grave 
warnings  from  veteran  pilots. 

Jaynes  did  go  up.  He  flew  around 
for  a  long  time,  his  big  plane  invisible 
in  the  murk.  Then  he  radioed  the  con- 
trol tower  that  he  was  coming  in.  Com- 
ing in!  But  where  was  he  going  to  land? 
How?  The  landing  field  was  blotted  out 
in  the  storm. 

Jaynes  came  down,  making  a  "feather 
bed"  landing  in  the  exact  middle  of  the 
runway! 

How  did  he  do  it?  He  simply  kept 
the  three  luminous  dots  aligned  on  the 
strange  device  before  him — and  the 
plane  did  the  rest. 

That  device  was  a  radio  locator.  It 
was  the  first  time  such  an  instrument 
had  ever  been  used  on  aircraft. 

The  magic  within  that  locator  was 
Radar.  It  is  war's  newest,  most  dramat- 
ic, most  unerring  device.  Stowed  in  the 
plexiglass  noses  of  allied  nations  fight- 
ing planes,  on  board  warships  and  con- 
voy vessels,  radar  is  the  "eyes"  and 
"ears"  of  pilots  and  ship  commanders. 

Dadar  is  the  most  powerful  single 
r"V  agency  in  winning  this  global  war. 
Without  it,  according  to  high  military 
and  naval  authorities,  it  is  inconceivable 
that  we  should  have  entered  this  con- 
flict. Without  it,  modern  warfare  in 
many  places  would  be  virtually  impos- 
sible. 


This  applies  par- 
ticularly to  the  Aleu- 
tians campaign. 
Without;  the  aid  of 
this  magic  ray  to 
point  out  the  way 
and  disclose  the  lo- 
cation of  hidden 
rocks  and  mountain 
peaks  that  menace 
every  movement  of 
planes  and  ships 
along  this  fog- 
cursed  island  chain, 
the  enemy  might  still  be  in  complete 
control. 

What  is  radar?  It  is  an  invisible 
beam  of  energy  that  zips  through  space 
at  the  incredible  speed  of  1 86,000  miles 
a  second — the  speed  of  light! 

It  works  like  this:  An  intermittent 
beam  of  radar  is  hurled  into  space.  If 
no  solid  object  crosses  its  path,  the 
beam  shoots  off  into  infinity.  If  the 
beam  strikes  an  enemy  plane,  warship, 
or  surfaced  sub  fifty  or  even  five  hun- 
dred miles  away,  it  rebounds  to  its  orig- 
inal source,  as  a  mirror  reflects  light. 
Electronic  devices  instantly  measure 
the  distance  of  the  enemy  object,  its 
speed,  altitude  ( if  a  plane ) ;  Allied  guns 
do  the  rest. 

In  fact,  the  information  which  radar 
supplies  gunners  is  almost  a  silhouette 
pattern  of  the  object  it  hits.  They  know 
just  what  they  are  firing  at,  although  be- 
ing unable  to  see  it. 

To  give  an  idea  of  the  accuracy  of 
this  mysterious  ray,  take  this  example: 
An  American  warship  was  cruising  near 
the  Solomon  Islands  on  a  night  in  1942. 


Tm 


.:  ;: 


^Illustrated  by  John  Henry  Evans.  Jr. 


148 


Suddenly  the  radar  indicator  disclosed 
the  presence  of  an  unfriendly  warship 
some  eight  miles  off.  Quickly  the  big 
ship  lifted  its  gun  muzzles  toward  the 
sky  and  fired  a  salvo.  It  fell  slightly 
short  of  the  target. 

The  second  salvo,  however,  despite 
the  pitch  darkness  and  16,000-yard 
range,  landed  squarely  on  the  "button," 
blowing  it  to  pieces. 

Incredible  gunnery,  that!  Impossible 
without  the  use  of  radar. 

Radar  saved  England  from  destruc- 
tion on  a  memorable  night  in  1940,  when 
the  Luftwaffe  hurled  its  greatest  aerial 
blitz  against  the  British. 

There  had  been  established  a  ring  of 
radar  detectors  around  the  English 
coast,  which  threw  up  an  invisible  wall 
of  protection. 

The  heroic  R.A.F.  fighting  pilots 
waited,  tense,  ready,  even  when  the 
operator  said,  "Here  they  come!" 

There  was  no  hurry.  The  detector 
showed  that  the  flight  of  enemy  planes 
was  still  far  inland  over  France, 

Only  when  the  enemy  was  almost  up- 
on them  did  the  comparatively  small 
number  of  pilots  go  aloft  to  battle,  and 
eventually  to  crush  the  attack. 

Radar  permitted  them  to  conserve 
energy,  machines  and  fuel,  thus  giving 
them  the  winning  edge  over  vastly 
greater  numbers. 

Radar  could  have  saved  Pearl  Har- 
bor. .  .  . 

On  that  unforgettable  morning  of 
December  7,  1941,  Joseph  Lockard,  a 
private  in  the  Signal  Corps,  was  tinker- 
ing with  a  radar  detector.  He  was  not 
on  active  duty.  Nobody  was.  The  is- 
lands lay  peaceful  and  quiet.  War  was 
a  long  way  off. 

Suddenly  Lockard  picked  up  the  un- 
mistakable approach  of  a  large  flight 
of  planes  slightly  east  and  north  of 
Oahu.  He  couldn't  believe  it,  thinking 
the  instrument  was  off  its  beam.  He 
made  adjustments  and  tried  again.  Still 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


the  indicators   showed   the   oncoming 
planes. 

Alarmed,  Lockard  dashed  to  the  com- 
manding officer  and  reported  the  inci- 
dent. The  CO.  shrugged.  These  darn 
green  kids,  always  imagining  things! 

Fifty  minutes  later,  Pearl  Harbor 
was  a  smoldering  ruins.  Several  battle- 
ships had  gone  to  the  bottom  of  the  bay. 
Scores  of  planes  were  turned  into 
wreckage  by  the  terrific  hail  of  bombs. 
Military  experts  are  now  agreed  that  if 
the  Japanese  had  followed  through,  the 
whole  Pacific  area  might  now  be  in  their 
hands. 

Some  months  prior  to  this,  the  British 
had  given  officers  on  the  islands  opera- 
tional experience  in  radar  and  a  number 
of  instruments  had  been  set  up  in 
Hawaii. 

This  would  imply  that  England  used 
radar  first.  That  is  true,  so  far  as  its  use 
in  actual  warfare.  However,  their  de- 
velopment of  the  ray  hinges  upon 
earlier  experimentation  and  research  by 
two  American  physicists — Dr.  Albert 
Hoyt  Taylor  and  Leo  C.  Young,  both 
of  whom  were  working  (1922)  in  the 
Naval  Research  Radio  Laboratory  at 
Anacosta,  Maryland. 

After  tests,  they  made  the  then  rev- 
olutionary suggestion  that  two  parallel 
lines  or  destroyers  or  warships, 
equipped  with  radio  detectors,  would  be 
aware  of  the  passage  of  an  enemy  ship 
between  the  lines. 

Some  eight  years  later,  Dr.  Taylor 
and  L.  A.  Hyland  noted  that  an  air- 
craft crossing  a  line  between  a  transmit- 
ter and  receiver  which  were  operating 
directionally  gave  an  interference  pat- 
tern indicating  the  aircraft's  presence. 

British  development  actually  was  the 
work  of  Sir  Robert  A.  Watson-Watt, 
Scotch  physicist,  who  began  experi- 
ments on  radar  some  years  before  the 
war. 

Although  basically  an  American  in- 
vention, radar  owes  its  existence  in 
large  measure  to  Heinrich  Hertz  of 
Karlsruhe,  Germany,  who  in  1 887  made 
successful  experiments  with  ultra-high 
frequency  waves  which  were  as  signi- 
ficant to  radar  as  to  radio. 

In  1906,  Dr.  Lee  De  Forest  came  out 
with  the  original  vacuum  tube.  Nine 
years  later,  Dr.  Irving  Langmuir  de- 
signed a  tube  similar  to  those  used  to- 
day. The  microphone,  which  translates 
our  speech  into  waves,  and  the  receiver 
which  retranslates  these  waves  into 
audible  radio  programs,  while  vital  to 
radio,  are  not  essential  to  radar. 

In  the  1930's,  ordinary  radio  was  be- 
ing used  as  a  direction  finder  for  ships 
at  sea.  The  government  set  up  radio 
beacons  along  the  United  States  coast. 
A  ship  which  had  lost  its  location  or  di- 
rection could  get  its  bearings  by  signal- 
ling two  or  more  shore  stations.  Its 
position  was  then  established  by  tri- 
angulation. 

HPhe  need  for  a  "true"  aviation  alti- 
■*■  meter  was  one  of  the  major  factors 
in  the  rapid  development  of  radar  de- 
vices. Prior  to  1939,  altimeters  were 
tricky  gadgets  which  often  told  tragic 
(Concluded  on  page  179) 

MARCH,  1944 


THESE  MY  PEOPLE 


WHEN  we  were  asked  to  work  as 
missionaries  at  Crystal,  it  was 
with  a  little  misgiving  on  our 
part  that  we  accepted  the  call.  We  were 
to  do  part-time  missionary  work  only, 
as  we  owned  a  trading  post  there  and 
most  of  our  time  had  to  be  spent  in  our 
store  doing  business  with  the  people 
we  had  been  asked  to  preach  the  gospel 
to. 

We  gave  an  invitation  to  all  the 
Navajos  who  came  to  the  store  several 
days  previous  to  the  meeting.  It  amused 
them  greatly  when  we  told  them  we 
were  going  to  do  missionary  work.  For 
four  years  we  had  been  "just  the  trader 
and  his  wife."  Because  they  were  curi- 
ous, we  had  a  house  full  at  our  first 
meeting.  They  were  very  interested  in 
what  we  told  them  and  expressed  a 
desire  to  hear  more,  so  we  appointed 
a  regular  time  each  week  to  hold  a 
meeting. 

When  the  school  teacher  saw  the 
large  crowds  trying  to  get  into  our 
home  to  attend  these  meetings,  she 
kindly  offered  us  the  use  of  the  school 
building,  which  we  gladly  accepted. 
Other  churches  were  holding  religious 
instructions  each  week  at  the  Navajo 
day  school.  With  the  help  of  the 
teacher  we  also  gained  permission  to 
do  this.  Each  Friday  I  held  a  class  with 
a  group  of  children. 

I  used  the  Children's  Friend  for  ma- 
terial. In  this  way  the  children  were 
taught  the  principles  of  the  gospel  and 
how  to  pray  and  to  sing  the  songs  of 
Zion.  How  we  wish  those  boys  and 
girls  could  attend  a  church  school  when 
they  leave  Crystal,  which  they  do  when 
they  reach  the  fourth  grade.  They  have 
to  go  to  schools  where  it  is  impossible 
to  contact  the  church  and  keep  inter- 
ested in  what  is  so  new  to  them.  These 
educated  boys  and  girls  will  be  the  fu- 
ture missionaries  and  leaders  of  their 
people  if  taught  the  gospel. 

Tn  the  spring,  when  some  began  ap- 
A  plying  for  baptism,  our  joy  knew  no 
bounds.  In  June,  Brother  Collyer  bap- 
tized thirteen.  Present  on  this  occasion 


iSu  C*thel  U.  C'Oliu 


*r 


were  President  Evans  of  the  mission, 
the  stake  presidency,  the  Arizona  mis- 
sionaries and  many  other  white  visitors. 
There  were  around  one  hundred  Nava- 
jos present  also.  Since  this  service  many 
others  have  been  baptized. 

It  was  our  desire  that  these  new  mem- 
bers have  a  church  of  their  own  to  meet 
in  and  partake  of  the  sacrament.  We 
had  a  building  not  in  use,  so  the  mem- 
bers remodeled  it  for  a  church.  Bishop 
Stolworthy  of  the  Kirtland  Ward  gave 
us  some  obsolete  benches.  Brother  Col- 
lyer purchased  some  paint  and  several 
of  the  men  and  women  came  and 
painted  the  benches  and  walls.  The 
Navajo  is  a  natural  builder,  so  in  two 
weeks  the  church  was  ready  to  hold 
meetings  in.  The  first  meeting  held  in 
their  own  church  was  a  happy  occa- 
sion. The  testimonies  borne  by  each 
member,  even  by  the  ones  who  spoke  no 
English,  of  the  divinity  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon  were  an  inspiration. 

KyfucH  credit  for  the  work  at  Crystal 
^ -T  is  due  the  Polacca  family.  This 
family  was  baptized  through  the  efforts 
of  the  Arizona  missionaries.  In  the 
coldest  weather  and  deepest  snow 
Brother  and  Sister  Polacca  would  drive 
miles  to  the  store  to  interpret  at  our 
meetings.  They  could  ably  explain  the 
gospel  to  their  fellow  men  and  never 
missed  an  opportunity  to  do  so.  Sister 
Polacca  has  helped  the  women  make 
quilts  and  can  fruit. 

In  Crystal  the  majority  of  the  people 
are  educated  and  have  had  Christian 
teachings.  They  are  anxious  to  hear  the 
gospel.  Those  who  have  joined  the 
church  need  constant  encouragement 
and  help.  One  member  said  to  us,  "We 
are  like  sheep  without  a  shepherd  and 
need  missionaries  to  guide  us  for  a  long 
time  yet." 

The  Lord  will  bless  the  efforts  of 
anyone  willing  to  work  among  those 
people,  because  they  are  a  remnant  of 
his  chosen  people. 


THE 

CHURCH 

BUILDING 

AND 

SOME 

OF  THE 

MEMBERS 


&$m 


By  RICHARD  L  EVANS 


TJTeard  from  the  "Crossroads  of  the  West"  with  the  Salt  Lake  Taber- 
nacle  Choir  and  Organ  over  a  nationwide  radio  network  through 
KSL  and  the  Columbia  Broadcasting  System  every  Sunday  at  12:00  noon 
Eastern  War  Time,  11:00  a.m.  Central  War  Time,  10:00  a.m.  Mountain 
War  Time,  and  9:00  a.m.  Pacific  War  Time. 


J  he  KeSolue  to  Jhlnk 


'"Phe  New  Year  brings  with  it  the  annually  recurring 
question,  to  resolve  or  not  to  resolve.  No  doubt  some 
of  us  have  quit  making  resolutions,  and  some  of  us  are  still 
making  and  breaking  them.  Too  often  resolutions  that 
wait  for  the  New  Year,  and  which  are  made  dramatically 
with  the  ringing  of  the  bells,  play  out  undramatically  and  in- 
gloriously.  Usually  the  resolutions  that  stay  with  us  are 
those  we  make  quietly  and  earnestly  to  ourselves  when  we 
feel  the  strength  and  the  need  to  do  so — without  waiting 
for  a  great  occasion.  And  so  we  are  not  calling  for  any 
overt  or  declamatory  resolutions,  but  we  could,  all  of  us, 
use  some  quiet  personal  determination  about  many  things — 
one  of  which  could  be  the  resolve  in  the  year  ahead  to  do 
our  own  thinking — to  cut  through  the  maze  of  misinforma- 
tion and  ready-made  opinion  and  look  for  the  facts  and  the 
reasons  behind  the  facts.  Too  many  of  us  live  our  lives  by 
default.  We  let  events  take  their  course  and  let  circum- 
stances make  our  decisions  for  us,  and  allow  our  minds  to 
feed  upon  pat  and  palatable  opinions  that  someone  else  has 
proffered.  We  become  involved  in  routines  and  go  through 
motions  which  make  us  think  we  are  going  somewhere,  but 
we  couldn't  say  exactly  where.  It  reminds  us  of  the  story 
of  our  childhood,  in  which  the  Red  Queen  sagely  observed: 
"Now  here,  you  see,  it  takes  all  the  running  you  can  do  to 
keep  in  the  same  place.  If  you  want  to  get  somewhere  else, 
you  must  run  at  least  twice  as  fast  as  that."*  And  so  it 
seems,  in  our  preoccupation  with  fevered  pursuits,  and  un- 
thinking acceptance  of  ready-made  ideas.  If  we  could  keep 
men  moving  so  fast  they  wouldn't  have  time  to  think,  con- 
cern for  the  larger  problems  of  life  and  the  sharpness  of 
reality  could  be  dulled— dulled  by  the  effects  of  speed  and 
exhaustion.  But  there  are  times  when  the  pace  inevitably 
slows  down  to  admit  of  quiet  thought  fulness — and  then 
reality  becomes  acutely  insistent.  And  so  a  good  resolve 
would  be  the  resolve  to  think — to  think  back  to  causes  and 
to  think  through  to  the  probable  effects  of  any  given  course 
— the  resolve  not  to  be  content  to  feed  our  minds  upon 
synthetic  thoughts  prepared  for  the  consumption  of  the  un- 
thinking. This  year,  like  all  others,  will  pass  surprisingly 
soon.  It  will  hold  both  good  things  and  disappointment — 
and,  as  always,  much  that  we  have  worried  about,  won't 
happen.  It  will  add  one  more  year  to  the  lives  of  all  of  us, 
and  will  bring  us  one  year  nearer  the  ultimate  purposes  of 
an  all-wise  Providence.  In  the  meantime,  may  we  so  live 
that  there  will  be  more  careful  thinking,  fewer  regrets,  less 
fear  of  the  unknown,  and  more  faith  in  the  future. 

— January  2,  1944. 

^Through  the  Looking  Glass  by  Lewis  Carroll. 


Jhe  (L>nd  from  the  d5eaLnnina 

'"Phere  comes  to  mind  one  of  the  pastimes  of  our  child- 
hood when  we  paused  with  other  wide-eyed  children  to 
watch  the  billposter,  harbinger  of  circuses  and  traveling 
shows,  skilfully  ply  paste  and  brush,  and  somehow  make  the 
parts  of  a  ready-made  picture,  piece  by  piece,  slip  precarious- 
ly into  place — thus  to  tell  all  passers-by  of  things  to  come. 
The  first  piece  may  not  have  given  much  indication  as  to  the 
pattern  of  the  whole,  but  perhaps  the  second  or  the  third 
did.  Fragmentarily,  we  began  to  see  parts  of  the  man  on 
the  flying  trapeze,  or  the  giraffe,  or  the  clown;  or  the  hero 
helplessly  hanging  from  the  cliff  with  the  sinister  villain 
about  to  cut  the  rope;  or  the  outlaw  about  to  wreck  the 
fast  mail — and  we  experienced  much  impatience  when  we 
were  past  due  at  school  or  at  home,  waiting  for  the  bill- 
poster to  get  far  enough  along  with  his  work  so  that  the 
entire  design  would  be  apparent,  even  if  we  couldn't  wait 
for  the  picture  to  be  completed.  We  are  not  so  much  aware 
of  late  of  the  activities  of  these  skilful  plyers  of  paste  and 
brush,  perhaps  because  we  take  less  time  these  days  to  be 
observant  of  some  things  that  fascinated  us  in  childhood. 
But  there  are  other  observable  patterns  continually  taking 
shape  around  us,  which  must  not  pass  unnoticed.  Some  of 
them  we  no  doubt  would  like,  and  some  of  them  we  surely 
would  not  like  if  we  were  to  see  the  end  from  the  begin- 
ning. Some  of  these  projected  pictures  are  personal  in 
character  and  are  designed  to  affect  only  an  individual  here 
and  there;  some  encompass  whole  nations  and  peoples  and 
the  course  of  world  events.  Constantly  there  are  all  man- 
ner and  combinations  of  planners  and  pattern-makers  devis- 
ing and  scheming  for  one  purpose  or  another,  some  to  free 
men,  some  to  enslave  them;  some  who  have  sincere  motives 
and  bad  methods;  some  who  have  plausible  methods  and 
questionable  motives.  There  are  misunderstood  but  honest 
humanitarians,  and  there  are  personable  and  attractive 
scoundrels.  There  are  villains  about  to  wreck  the  fast  mail, 
as  there  were  in  the  days  of  the  melodrama,  but  life  isn't 
fiction,  and  sometimes  the  hero  doesn't  arrive  in  time.  Said 
the  Savior  of  mankind:  "Now  learn  a  parable  of  the  fig 
tree;  When  his  branch  is  yet  tender  and  putteth  forth 
leaves,  ye  know  that  summer  is  nigh:  So  likewise  ye,  when 
ye  shall  see  all  these  things,  know  that  it  is  near,  even  at  the 
doors."  (Matthew  24:32-33.)  Intimations  of  things  to 
come  have  a  way  of  preceding  the  arrival  of  the  events 
themselves.  By  the  first  postings  on  the  board  often  we  may 
know  what  the  finished  picture  is  intended  to  be — and  these 
are  times,  perhaps,  when  men  would  do  well  to  take  a  lesson 
from  a  childhood  experience,  and  learn  to  appraise  the 
intended  picture  before  all  the  pieces  are  pasted  down. 

— January  16,  1944. 


150 


THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


m  mdpOg 


J4e    Went  ^rwau  ^orrowfml 

«Dut  when  the  young  man  heard  that  saying,  he  went 
away  sorrowful;  for  he  had  great  possessions."  (Mat- 
thew  19:22.)       The  problem  of  the  young  man  and  his 
choices  in  life  is  always  with  us— and  likewise  of  young 
women.   Many  of  our  own  young  men  today — rich  young 
men,  all  of  them— rich  in  the  heritage  of  country,  rich  in 
opportunity,  rich  in  friends  and  in  prospects  for  happiness 
—have,  by  the  millions,  had  to  decide  between  clinging  to 
their   accustomed   comfort  and   personal   convenience,   or 
offering  themselves  in  defense  of  a  cause.   But  it  isn't  only 
a  time  of  war  that  brings  such  decisions  before  us.    In  the 
lifetime  of  every  young  man  and  woman  come  many  such 
choices — choices  more  critical  in  the  lives  of  some  than  of 
others — and  more  critical  in  the  lives  of  most  of  us  than 
we  realize  at  the  time.   We  read  of  the  children  of  Israel 
who  had  to  choose  between  slavery  and  the  fleshpots  of 
Egypt  or  struggle  through  the  wilderness  for  the  sake  of 
redeeming  their  heritage.  Many  have  been  greatly  influenced 
in  their  choices  by  the  "fleshpots."    Some  have  yielded  to 
the  danger  of  continuing  in  a  relatively  comfortable  situation 
rather  than  undertaking  the  effort  and  sacrifice  of  a  course 
which  would  fit  them  for  greater  service  and  an  ultimately 
greater  reward.    Many  have  been  faced  with  the  question 
of  sacrificing  easy  money  for  a  worth-while  objective — 
with  decisions  involving  the  yielding  of  a  principle  in  order 
to  keep  a  position;  or  switching  allegiance  for  a  seemingly 
desirable  plum;  or  throwing  overboard  a  conviction  for  an 
easy  situation.   Many  have  preferred  comfortable  submis- 
sion rather  than  honorable  contest.   There  arise  in  the  lives 
of  young  people  questions  also  of  whether  or  not  to  forego 
certain  unsound  pleasures  for  the  enduring  satisfaction  of  a 
sound  way  of  life;    whether  or  not  to  part  company  with 
the  crowd  for  the  sake  of  maintaining  personal  convictions; 
whether  or  not  to  hazard  an  immediate  popularity  for  future 
strength   and   self-respect.     Every  young  man  and  young 
woman  should  know  early  in  life  that  there  will  inevitably 
come  many  such  decisions  to  be  made — all  of  them  basically 
involving  the  question  as  to  whether  or  not  we  should  face 
reality  now,  and  pay  the  price,  or  postpone  it,  and  pay 
double  the  price  later — perhaps  for  much  lost  and  nothing 
gained.    It  is  such  decisions  as  these  that  constantly  face 
the  youth  of  every  generation.   "But  when  the  young  man 
heard  that  saying,  he  went  away  sorrowful:   for  he  had 
great  possessions."   That  course  in  life  which  sacrifices  an 
ultimate  good  for  an  immediate  convenience  is  but  the  begin- 
ning of  sorrow  and  regret.  — January  23,  1944. 


such  things  as  dress,  in  literature,  and  in  art  do  we  tend 
to  move  recurrently,  but  also  in  thought.     And  not  only 
does  the  aggregate  thinking  of  the  world  tend  to  repeat 
itself,  but  each  man  in  his  own  life  tends  to'  go  through 
phases  from  faith  to  doubt,  and  back  again  from  skepticism 
to  belief.    In  childhood,  an  implicit  faith  in  an  intelligent 
direction  of  the  universe  and  in  the  reality  and  approach- 
ability  of  God  is  the  likely  condition.    And  then  comes^a 
little  learning — so  tritely  but  truly  described  as  being  "a 
dangerous  thing"— a  smattering  of  knowledge  acquired  here 
and  there,  a  fragment  of  fact,  which,  unrelated  to  the  whole, 
would  seem  to  discredit  the  pattern  of  faith.   At  such  times, 
it  would  seem  that  the  only  thing  in  all  the  universe  that 
could  give  meaning  and  purpose  to  life  has  been  taken  from 
us — and  that  which  was  supposed  to  have  taken  the  place 
of  God,  gives  no  comfort  and  no  satisfying  answer.    The 
world  itself  has  gone  through  something  of  this  process. 
There  have  been  times  when  faith  and  belief  in  the  reality 
and  omnipotence  of  God  were  virtually  unquestioned.  There 
have  also  been  generations  in  which  it  has  been  unfashion- 
able to  believe— and  there  are  few  things  which  men  dis- 
like quite  so  much  as  being  out  of  fashion.   A  scholar  who 
is  out  of  fashion  is  likely  to  become  a  martyr,  unless  he  keeps 
his  thoughts  to  himself.   A  scientist  who  is  out  of  fashion 
is  likely  to  become  ostracized,  unless  he  keeps  his  own 
counsel.  A  student  who  dares  to  believe,  in  an  atmosphere 
of  unbelief,  is  likely  to  have  to  pay  in  many  small  ways  for 
his  independence  of  thought.  We  have  gone  through  much 
of  this,  and  now  it  would  seem  that  again  it  is  becoming 
more  popular  to  believe.   So  far  as  the  average  man  is  con- 
cerned, perhaps  the  war  has  had  something  to  do  with  it. 
Men  are  turning  to  their  only  source  of  help,  realizing  that 
it  is  the  only  source.    But  more  than  this,  the  great  minds 
of  science,  men  who  have  emerged  from  their  scientific 
adolescence,  are  coming  to  know,  and  are  so  declaring,  that 
beyond  all  the  knowledge  we  have  acquired,  beyond  all  the 
laws  we  have  discovered,  beyond  all  we  have  learned  to  do, 
and  see,  beyond  the  penetration  of  the  greatest  intellects, 
and  beyond  the  deepest  probings  of  science,  still  lies  that 
which  can  be  explained  only  in  terms  of  a  very  real  and 
personal  and  omnipotent  God.    We  may  well  be  grateful 
that  the  pendulum  swings  toward  belief — that  the  cycle  of 

(Concluded  on  page  182) 


Copyright,  1944. 


L^ucle  of  vDeliet 

T 


rHE  cycle  of  fashion  in  human  affairs 
often  been  observed  and  commented 
upon.     Succeeding  generations  come 
back  to  old  styles,  modified,  but 
strikingly  similar.      Not  only  in 

MARCH,  1944 


151 


PIONEER  DIARY  OF 


Part  XIII 
Life  in  Salt  Lake  Valley — 1847-48 

Saturday,  October  30.  The  young 
people  take  a  ride  to  Salt  Lake.  The 
day  very  cold  6  windy — Br.  Wicks, 
Kimball,  6c  arrive,  having  been  sent 
for  again  6  compell'd  to  come.  Br.  6 
Sis.  Sessions]  sent  for  me  to  come  to 
their  tent.  Q[lara]  6  I  went— had  a  first 
rate  visit  6  feasted  on  2  roasted  geese. 

Sunday,  October  31.  The  weather 
cold — we  have  a  meet[ing]  in  the  aft- 
[ernoon].  Pres[en]t:  Sis.  Sess[ions], 
Leonfard],  Lucina,  Chase,  Peirce,  6 
J[ohn]  Young,  also  Susanna;  Clara  be- 
ing mistress  of  the  house,  called  on  me 
to  preside.   We  had  a  refreshing  time. 

Monday,  November  1 .  Very  bluster- 
ing— the  dust  flying  so  that  we  could 
not  see  the  mountains  in  the  forenoon — 
a  salt  rain  which  was  succeeded  by  a 
snow  storm.  Sis.  Sess[ions]  sups  with 
us,  many  of  the  tents  having  blown 
down  6  hers  with  the  rest.  She  brought 
me  6  skeins  6  a  spool  of  thread  6  calico 
to  exchange  for  a  piece  of  domestic 
gingham. 

Tuesday,  November  2.  Attended  a 
meeting  of  the  mothers  in  Israel  at  El- 
len's, after  the  close  of  which  E[llen] 
spoke  in  the  gift  of  tongues — it  was  a 
rich  treat.  Sis.  Sessions]  presided. 
This  mor[ning]  the  ground  cover'd  with 
snow. 

Thursday,  November  4.  The  day  fine 
— we  had  a  meet  [ing]  of  the  young 
ladies  in  the  eve[ning].  C[lara]  call'd 
on  me  to  preside — we  had  a  glorious 
time.  Pres[ent]:  Sis.  Sess[ions], 
Holmes,  Houd,  Margarett  Ellen,  M. 
Ellen,  Susan  N.,  E.  Hendricks. 

Saturday,  November  6.  Lawson  tried 
before  the  H[igh]  Council  for  shooting 
an  ox  6  is  to  restore  fourfold — this 
week  the  Lord  has  blest  me  abundantly 
with  strength  to  labor.  Besides  most  of 
the  cooking,  I  have  made  2  veils  for  Sis. 
Moore,  1  for  Sis.  Noble,  done  1  cap  for 
Sis.  J[ohn]  Y[oung]  6  6  for  Sis.  Ses- 
sions]. Sis.  M.  sent  for  me  2  quarts 
meal,  a  little  flour  6  a  stranger  sis. 
sent  me  2  quarts  beans.  Sis.  P[eirce] 
brought  us  her  little  bowl  full  of  ginger 


(Ltlza  f\.  ^3/-; 


6  Br.  P[eirce]  let  us  have  a  piece  of 
beef. 

Sunday,  November  7.  We  found  the 
ground  cov[ered]  with  snow  3  inch  [es 
or  more — had  a  delightful  meetfing 
of  the  little  girls.  Susan  N.  6  Martha 
receiv'd  the  gift  of  tongues.  Sarah  H. 
improv'd  upon  hers  which  she  spoke 
in  yes  [terday]  here  for  the  first  time — 
after  meet  [ing]  Sis.  Chase  blest  C  [lara] 
6  me.  Clara  spoke  in  tongues  6  blessed 
us.  Praise  the  Lord,  O  my  soul! 

Monday,  November  8.  A  meeting  of 
the  young  ladies  at  Ellen's  this  eve.  It 
was  truly  a  time  of  the  outpouring  of 
the  spirit  of  God. 

Tuesday,  November  9.  Br.  Pfeirce] 
brought  us  a  mince  pie. 

Wednesday,  November  10.  Ellen, 
Mfargarett]  Ellen,  6  A.  Benson  spent 
the  afternoon  with  us— the  weather  is 
more  favorable. 

Saturday,  November  13.  Sis.  M.  6 
Whitney  came  here  last  evejning],  I 
told  Sis.  Whitney  it  was  her  privilege 
to  set  the  pattern  in  the  order  of  our 
meetings,  in  honor  of  the  household  to 
which  she  belongs  6  this  eve  we  en- 
joy'd  a  precious  time  in  her  habitation, 
the  influence  of  which  I  trust  she  will 
realize  perhaps  forever.  Present: 
Mothfer]  Dilworth,  Chase,  Sessions], 
Leonard,  Hamilton,  6c.  This  week  I 
have  been  greatly  blest  with  strength — 
done  all  the  cooking  except  one  meal — 
most  of  making  2  calico  shirts  for  Por- 
ter— did  up  a  cap  for  Sis.  Sessions] 
6  made  six  buttonholes  for  Sis.  Peirce. 
Sis.  Chase  sup'd  with  us  last  evefning]. 

Sunday,  November  14.  This  mor[n- 
ing]  Sis.  Moore  brought  me  some  beef, 
which  I  thank  the  Lord  for,  also  some 
sea  biscuit.  In  the  eve  Sis.  Riter  sent 
me  a  loaf  of  bread  6  a  teacup  of  elder- 
berry sauce.  The  Lord  bless  her  an 
hundred  fold  which  Sis.  Sess[ions], 
who  spent  the  day  with  us,  gave  an 
interpretation  of  what  I  spoke,  said  was 
our  right  to  claim  for  all  that  we  bestow 


now 


either  spiritually  or  temporally.  The 
day  fine.  In  the  eve  had  an  excellent 
meeting  at  Br.  J[ohn]  Young's.  Br. 
Cornogg  [was]   confirm 'd. 

Wednesday,  November  17.  A  part 
of  the  com  [pany]  for  the  southern  ex- 
pedition start  today1 — the  day  is  fine — 
the  ground  cover'd  with  snow. 

Thursday,  November  18.  The  re- 
mainder of  the  com  [pany]  start  today, 
making  17  or  18  in  number. 

Sunday,  November  21.  Art  [end] 
meetfing]  at  Sis.  Ws.  D.  Kingsbury 
there;  her  babe  3  days  old. 

Thursday,  November  25.  Visited 
Sis.  Love,  with  Sis.  Holmes,  Howd, 
Sessfions],  Meeks,  6  Noble.  After 
suppfer]  we  all  arose  6  blest  her — had 
a  good  time.  For  some  days  past  the 
breth[ren]  have  been  plowing  and 
dragging  with  the  ground  cover'd  with 
snow.  This  day  they  commence  bap- 
tizing. 

Friday,  November  26.  In  com  [pany] 
with  Br.  Noble's  fam[ily]  Sis.  Ses- 
s  [ions] ,  6c,  I  was  baptiz'd  by  Br.  Grant 
who  administer'd  to  perhaps  20.  I  feel 
this  to  be  a  great  blessing  from  the  Lord. 
In  the  eve  attended  meet  [ing]  at  Sis. 
Whitney's.  Sis.  Rogers  receiv'd  the 
gift  of  tongues. 

Sunday,  November  28.  Meet  [ing] 
at  Clara's — she  presided. 

Monday,  November  29.  Sis.  Chase, 
Sessions],  Cflara]  6  I  vis  [it]  Sis. 
P[eirce].  A  meet  [ing]  in  the  eve — 
sevferal]  brethren  presfent].  Sis. 
Sfessions]  presided  in  the  forepart — 
when  she  was  call'd  away  she  confer'd 
the  authority  back  on  Sis.  P[eirce]  6 
she  bestow'd  it  on  me.  The  breth[ren] 
spoke  with  much  approbation. 

Tuesday,  November  30.  Vis  [it]  El- 
len— feasted  6  blessed,  6c.  in  the  eve. 
She  presided  over  her  meet  [ing]. 

JThe  first  mission  was  to  California.  On  the  17tb 
of  November.  1847,  Eli  H.  Peirce.  Brothers  Lathrop. 
Peacock  and  fifteen  others  started  with  horses  and 
mules  on  a  mission  to  California  for  seeds  and  cuttingsv 
and  returned  on  the   10th  of  May  following. 


SO UTH  FO RTS  ~~N O  RTH  FO RT 

Fort,  Great  Salt  Lake  City,  1848. 


152 


THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


Wednesday,  December  1.  The 
weather  seems  like  spring.  Sis.  Wilkie, 
Ellen  K[imball]  spent  the  aft.  with  us. 
After  supp[er],  they  blest  us  6  were 
truly  filled  with  the  spirit  of  God. 

Thursday,  December  2.  Supp'd  with 
Sis.  Higbee,  Sis.  Sess[ions]  with  me. 
A  meetfing]  in  the  eve,  over  which  Sis. 
H.  presided,  her  hus[band]  having 
given  her  permission  to  do  so  in  his 
absence  to  Eutaw  [Utah]  Lake  where 
he,  in  com[pany]  with  others,  has  gone 
for  fish.  A  young  Sis.  Allred  rec[eive]d 
the  gift  of  tongues.  Br.  Luddington 
present. 

Friday,  December  3.  Din'd  with  Sis. 
Chase,  meeting  in  the  afternoon. 

Saturday,  December  4.  Din'd  at  Br. 
Meeks'  with  Sis.  Sess[ions],  Holmes, 
Howd,  Love,  6o,  had  a  glorious  time 
in  blessing — 3  rec[eive]d  the  gift  of 
tongues  after  which  Sis.  Sessions]  6 
I  supp'd  with  Sis.  Scofield.  She  call'd 
a  meetfing]  in  the  eve  6  presided. 

Sunday,  December  5.  Attended  pub- 
lic meet  [ing  loutdoors — the  day  fine. 

Tuesday,  December  7.  Vis[ited]  at 
Maj.  Russel's  with  Sis.  Chase  6  Ses- 
sions], having  spent  yesterday  at  Fa- 
ther Sess [ions'].  Snow'd  yes[terday], 
stormy  today. 

Friday,  December  10.  Visfited]  at 
Br.  Stratton's  with  M.  Sessions] — 
had  a  very  sociable  time — the  day  very 
blustering — stayed  with  Sis.  W. — heard 
that  the  bill  for  removing  the  poor  had 
pass'd  in  British  Parliament. 

Sunday,  December  12.  Yest[erdayl 
so  blust'ring  that  I  spent  the  day  with 
Sis.  W.  This  morfning]  breakfasted 
with  Fath[er]  Sess  [ions],  rather  riley 
times.  She  6  I  call'd  on  Sis.  Green — 
hear  many  reports  calculated  to  discour- 
age the  sis  [ters]  in  their  efforts  for  im- 
provement, but  all  things  will  tend  to 
the  instruction  of  those  that  will  be 
profited  6  hold  fast  to  the  principles  of 
righteousness.  Att  [ended]  eve[ning] 
meetfing]  at  J[ohn]  Young's.  Br.  Grant 
presided. 

Monday,  December  13.  Spent  the 
aft  6  eve  at  Br.  Jjohn]  Young's — he 
having  gone  to  Goodyear 's  [Miles 
Goodyear  trading  post,  later  Ogden] 
on  business.  The  weather  fine  but 
freezes  hard  at  night. 

Tuesday,  December  14.  The  Laman- 
ite  girl  comes  to  live  with  us.  She  was 
purchas'd  last  Sunday.1 

Wednesday,  December  15.  Vis  [it] 
with  Sis.  Sess  [ions],  Holmes,  Green, 
6c.  At  Br.  Hickenlooper's,  had  an  in- 
teresting time — attended  meetfing]  in 
the  eve  at  the  schoolhouse  near  Br. 
Green's — a  young  girl  [Elvira]  of  Sis. 
Stewart's  died  this  morfning],  being 
the  first  that  has  sicken'd  6  died  in  the 
valley. 

Thursday,  December  16.  Went  from 
Fath[er]  Sess  [ions']  with  her  to  Br. 
Noble's  where  we  spent  the  day  agree- 
ably. 

Friday,  December  17.  Br.  6  Sis. 
Noble  supp'd  with  us — attended  meet- 
fing]   in  the  eve  at  Capt.  Brown's — 

latter-day  Saints  frequently  bought  native  children 
to  save  them  from  mutilation  or  death  by  their  hostile 
Indian  captors,    later  liberating  the  children. 

MARCH,  1944 


several      breth[ren]      pres[en]t — Sis. 
Wilkie  presided. 

Saturday,  December  18.  Ellen  6  Sis. 
Wilkie  with  me  in  the  forenoon — we 
all  spent  the  aft  and  eve  at  Br.  Peirce's. 

Sunday,  December  19.  Attended  a 
very  interesting  meet  [ing]  at  Br.  Whip- 
ple's. The  Lord's  supper  was  adminis- 
ter'd.  Fath[erj  &  Mothfer]  Sess  [ions] 
supp'd  with  us.  Fath[er]  Cfhase]  told 
me  he  would  open  us  some  flour,  when 
necessary. 

Monday,  December  20.  Vis[ited] 
at  Br.  Smithson's  with  Clara.  Sis.  W. 
Hunt,  6c.  In  the  evefning]  att  [end] 
meetfing]  at  Bish[op]  Higbee's — five 
breth[ren]  present. 

Tuesday,  December  21.  Vis  [it]  at 
Br.  Hunt's  with  Sis.  Sess  [ions] ,  Wilkie, 
Clara,  Ellen  6  Casper.  After  sup  [per] 


the  babe  of  Sis.  Y[oung].  I  serv'd  as 
scribe.  Br.  [Jedediah  M.]  Grant  pray'd 
6  dedicated  the  house  to  the  Lord,  6c. 
In  the  eve,  Edith  had  an  organiz'd  visit 
of  the  little  girls  at  Clara's.  Moth[er] 
C[hase]  presided. 

Sunday,  December  26.  P[arley]  P. 
Pfratt]  had  an  appointment  to  preach 
at  Br.  Riter's  but  in  consequence  of  a 
private  council  on  account  of  the  in- 
creasing of  an  insubordinate  spirit  6  a 
disposition  to  leave  the  place,  he  could 
not  attend.  The  people  met,  but  as  none 
of  the  brethren  were  willing  to  carry  on 
meeting,  Br.  Rfiter]  told  his  wife  she 
might  have  a  meetfing]  for  the  sisters — 
she  wish'd  me  to  preside  for  her.  We 
had  a  good  time,  being  honor'd  with  the 
presence  of  many  brethren.  In  the  eve- 
[ning]  att  [ended]  where  Pfarley  P.] 


CLARA  D.  YOUNG, 

WITH  WHOM 

ELIZA  R.  SNOW 

LIVED   FOR  A 

TIME  AFTER 

ENTERING   THE 

VALLEY 


we  all  arose  6  bless'd — had  a  meetfing] 
in  the  eve — Sis.  Hunt  presided. 

Wednesday,  December  22.  Vis  fit] 
at  Sis.  Brown's  with  Sis.  Wilkie,  Ses- 
sions], Ellen,  Clara,  Ostrander,  6c. 
Sis.  B  frown]  presided  over  her  meet- 
fing] in  the  eve.  Brethfren]  present. 

Thursday,  December  23,  At  Br. 
Riter's  to  dinner  with  Sis.  Peirce,  Ses- 
sfions],  Chase,  Hunter,  6c.  After  din- 
ner we  arose  6  bless'd  the  mistress  of 
the  feast.  She  presided  over  her  guests 
in  the  afternoon — we  had  a  good  time 
— Sis.  Gates  nam'd  our  meetfings]  "or- 
ganized parties."  In  the  eve  went  to 
Br.  J  fames]  Brown's  to  hear  Parley  P. 
Pratt.  He  did  not  come.  Gen.  [Chas. 
C]  Rich  preach'd. 

Saturday,  December  25.  Att  [ended] 
Christmas  party  at  Br.  Lforenzo] 
Young's.  Presfen]t  Father  Jfohn] 
Young  6  wife,  Fathfer]  Jfohn]  Smith 
6  wife,  Br.  [Robert]  Peirce  6  wife, 
Br.  [Jedediah  M.]  Grant.  After  a 
splendid  dinner  at  which  we  freely  6 
sociably  partook  of  the  good  things  of 
the  earth,  Fathfer]  [John]  Smith  bless'd 


Pfratt]  presided — was  much  edified  by 
him. 

Monday,  December  27.  Attended 
meetfing]  at  Br.  Willis' — present,  Fa- 
thfer] J[ohn]  Smith — the  order  of  our 
meetings  was  laid  before  him,  Go  He 
gave  us  good  instruction — said  he 
would  attend  with  us  again — bless'd  us, 
6c. 

Tuesday,  December  28.  Vis[ited] 
at  Br.  J[acob]  Gates  with  Sis.  Ses- 
sions], Chase,  Pfarley]  P.  Pratt, 
L[evi]  Hancock  6  others.  Br.  P[ratt] 
edified  us  with  the  subject  of  the  veloc- 
ity of  the  motion  of  bodies,  when  sur- 
rounded by  a  refin'd  element,  6c. 

Wednesday,  December  29.  A  dinner 
at  Sis.  Crisman's,  after  which  we  arose 
6  bless'd.  A  meet  [ing]  in  the  eve  [ning] , 
sev[eral]  brethfren]  present. 

Thursday,  December  30.  Vis  fit] 
Mary  Forsgreen,  who  set  a  supper  table 
that  did  honor  to  her  mother  Kimball. 

Friday,  December  31.  Dinner  party 
at  Sis.  Howd's.  The  sis  [ters]  bless'd 
her  and  Sister  Holmes. 

(Continued  on  page  184) 
153 


BEE  HIVE  IN  WARTIME 


have  introduced  a  Bee  Hive  commando 
for  each  of  the  seven  fields.  They  are 
Ruth  Bee-Reverent,  Betty  Bee-Busy, 
Hetty  Bee-Healthy,  Lucy  Bee-Lively, 
Hally  Bee-Handy,  Tilly  Bee-Thrifty, 
and  Rosy  Bee-Ready.  They  are  sym- 
bols of  constructive  planning  and  or- 
ganizing and  have  kept  girls  active  day 
after  day.  They  typify  goals  and  ac- 
complishments in  the  various  Bee  Hive 
fields.  Emphasis  has  been  not  only  on 
actually  doing  the  work  but  also  on  fill— 


^w^W-^KR*rfc 


Do  soldiers  like  cookies?  Many  of 
the  "young  teens"  of  Bonneville 
Stake  know  the  answer  to  that 
question,  for  every  Saturday  afternoon 
finds  a  group  of  Bee  Hive  girls  in  the 
kitchen  busy  with  dough  and  rolling 
pin,  and  round  cookies,  hard  cookies, 
sweet  cookies  come  out  of  the  oven  by 
the  dozens.  Since  last  November  when 
the  first  twenty  dozen  were  taken  to  the 
U.S.O.,  over  2,500  cookies  have  been 
made  by  Bee  Hive  girls  in  this  stake. 
When  they  are  cool  and  packed  into 
boxes,  the  girls  take  them  down  and 
leave  them;  the  soldiers  do  the  rest  as 
they  disappear  with  astonishing  rapid- 
ity. 

Does  the  Red  Cross  need  help  in 
making  bandages?  Could  you  use  a  lit- 
tle help  on  your  welfare  project,  or 
would  the  bishop  appreciate  a  little  tem- 
porary assistance  with  the  dusting  in 
the  ward?  Who  tends  most  of  the 
babies  in  your  town  when  it  is  moth- 
ers' day  at  the  Red  Cross?  All  of  these 
questions  have  an  answer  in  the  projects 
and  activities  of  the  Bee  Hive  Girls. 

The  creed  of  their  organization  in- 
corporates these  words:  "Taste  the 
Sweetness  of  Service."  Surely,  there 
has  never  been  more  opportunity  for 
them  to  be  useful  than  right  now.  With 
surprising  intelligence  and  ability,  they 
have  slipped  into  the  "girl  power"  situa- 
tion and  carried  their  full  share  of  the 
responsibilities  of  the  war.  Through- 
out the  church  they  are  engaged  in  a 
wide  scope  of  projects  which  contribute 
to  the  war  effort.  While  records  are 
not  complete  for  this  year,  those  avail- 
able indicate  that  Bee  Hive  girls  have 
spent  228,000  hours  in  war  service  ac- 
tivities since  September  1942.  Many  of 
them  wear  a  service  pin  and  honor 
badges  indicating  they  have  given  at 
least  thirty-six  hours  of  service  to  their 
country,  church,  neighborhood,  and 
home. 

/^onscious  that  girls  12,  13,  and  14 
^~*  have  great  need  for  recreational  op- 
portunities and  ways  in  which  they  may 
be  of  service,  bee  keepers  are  constant- 
ly on  the  alert  to  meet  these  require- 
ments.   In  keeping  with  the  times  they 

154 


W>^  Ofcfc-4Juow\ 


ing  cells  and  honor  badges  which  equip 
them  to  do  their  tasks  most  efficiently. 

The  accomplishments  and  objectives 
of  our  Bee  Hive  war  service  plan  can 
be  shown  in  part  through  an  interview 
with  each  of  the  commandos. 

Ruth  Bee-Reverent,  a  leader  in  the 
Field  of  Religion  says:  "I  feel  that 
above  all  Bee  Hive  girls  should  be  spir- 
itually prepared.  I  remember  the  sun- 
rise service  we  held  last  summer:  A 
swarm  of  girls  sitting  in  a  circle  on  the 
ground,  the  crisp  fresh  morning  air,  the 
smell  of  pines  and  wood  smoke,  the 
stars  and  stripes  flying  above  them,  as 
each  girl  expressed  her  idea  of  what  it 
meant  to  be  spiritually  prepared.  As  I 
listened  to  them  repeat  the  M.I. A. 
theme  and  its  application  as  given  in 
the  beatitudes,  I  sensed  that  here  were 
girls  who  could  be  relied  on  and  of 
whom  I  could  make  good  use. 

"I  find  in  my  group  girls  who  try  to 
keep  the  Sabbath  day,  who  participate 
enthusiastically  in  their  M.I. A.  pro- 
gram, who  are  fortified  and  strength- 
ened through  knowing  they  have  paid 
their  tithing  to  the  Lord.  My  task  is 
to  help  build  girlhood  equal  to  the  re- 
sponsibilities that  come  to  her." 

Betty  Bee-Busy  in  the  Field  of  Home 
is  too  occupied  ever  to  be  interviewed. 
With  so  many  mothers  and  older  sis- 
ters and  neighborhood  women  working, 


Bee  Hive  girls  are  very  much  in  demand 
to  look  after  children.  The  Bee  Hive 
girl  flag  bears  these  words,  "The  bat- 
tle may  be  won  on  the  home  front." 
With  demonstrations  and  illustrations, 
she  teaches  homemaking  ways,  such  as 
cooking,  cleaning,  canning,  budgeting, 
management,  and  dietetics. 

Betty  is  most  concerned  about  the 
calls  she  has  for  Bee  Hive  girls  to  tend 
babies,  for  it  is  quite  a  task  to  get  so 
many  helpers  trained.  For  example,  con- 
sider one  of  her  bee  keepers  who  gave 
her  girls  such  a  comprehensive  course 
in  child  care,  fairy  stories,  and  finger 
games,  together  with  advice  on  doing 
the  dishes  and  necessary  housework 
while  they  were  on  duty,  that  she  felt 
they  were  of  far  more  value  than  they 
were  prior  to  that  time. 

Hetty  Bee-Healthy  symbolizes  the 
Field  of  Health.  She  is  vigorous  and 
full  of  pep.  Every  Bee  Hive  girl  who 
wants  to  do  her  part  knows  she  must 
keep  physically  fit  and  be  able  to  say 
with  Hetty,  "Health  I  hold  in  my  keep- 
ing, health  to  guard  and  to  cherish." 
Girls  in  her  company  fill  the  following 
cells : 

1.  Keep  fit  for  all  service  through  ex- 
ercise and  general  posture  training. 


Uj^&fc-^and^ 


Ti&^WftJfo. 


THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


Dw  c?Ll 


¥ 


^J.  ^^fndi 


er5en,  chairman,  bee  hive  committee, 


2.  Be  useful  in  an  emergency  through 
knowing  how  to  care  for  sickness. 

3.  Know  how  to  give  first  aid. 

4.  If  possible,  take  the  Junior  Red 
Cross  course  in  first  aid  and  home  nurs- 
ing. 

r  ucy  Bee-Lively  lives  in  the  out-of- 
•L/  doors.  Hers  is  the  garden  home 
front— and  between  victory  gardens, 
fruit  picking,  welfare  farms,  it  promises 
to  be  a  busy  season.  For  instance,  one 
of  the  girls  in  West  Jordan  Stake,  her 
father  and  brother  being  in  the  service, 
drove  a  tractor  for  one  hundred  hours 
and  earned  a  war  service  pin.  In  St. 
Johns  Stake  the  girls  of  Eager  Ward 
harvested  and  threshed  four  hundred 
pounds  of  beans  by  hand.  Lucy  says: 
"I  feel  in  times  such  as  these  it  is  good 
for  girls  to  be  out  working  in  the  sun- 
shine; to  experience  the  joy  of  growing 
things,  the  satisfaction  of  crops  at  har- 
vest time.  While  my  girls  work  hard, 
nowhere  are  they  more  needed  than  out 
on  the  farms." 

Hally  Bee-Handy  can  always  find  use 
for  girls  with  nimble  fingers  for  she  di- 
rects the  Field  of  Arts  and  Crafts. 
Nearly  always  to  be  found  with  knitting 
or  sewing  of  some  kind  she  leaves  no 
idle  hours.  It  is  with  great  pride  she 
displays  the  handwork  of  her  pupils: 
dresses,  children's  clothing  and  the  well- 
knit  afghan  squares  and  wash  rags 
which  are  made  for  the  soldiers.  To  the 
men  in  uniform  go  also  the  writing 
boards,  games,  books,  and  puzzles 
which  are  made  under  the  direction  of 
the  Red  Cross. 

Tilly  Bee-Thrifty,  who  symbolizes  the 
Field  of  Business,  says:  "This  is  a  time 
when  everyone  needs  to  watch  his  pen- 
nies, dimes,  and  dollars  and  see  that 
they  are  put  to  the  very  best  use.  Our 
money  has  added  value  because  of  the 
ways  in  which  it  was  earned — raising 


Y. W.M.I. A.   GENERAL   BOARD 


vegetables,  picking  fruit,  making  egg 
crates,  candling  eggs  and  tending  chil- 
dren. My  girls  also  perform  many  home 
tasks  which  I  feel  is  a  real  service  in 
these  days  of  actual  shortages  of 
domestic  help.  This  money  we  earn  does 
double  duty  because  while  being  saved 
it  can  be  of  service  to  our  country  if 
invested  in  stamps  and  bonds.  Besides 
working  as  individuals  I  get  my  Bee 
Hive  girls  interested  in  swarm  projects 
such  as  collecting  fats,  metals,  and  paper 
for  the  government.  Our  motto  is 
'Serve  by  Saving.'  " 

Rosy  Bee-Ready  symbolizes  the  Field 
of  Public  Service.  "I  am  the  command- 
ing officer  of  all  the  Fields  and  lead  the 
way  on  the  home  front  wherever  girls 
are  needed  in  their  country's  service.  I 
encourage  each  ward  and  stake  to 
analyze  their  own  powers  and  possibil- 
ities and  to  decide  on  a  definite  project 
for  rendering  what  they  consider  the 
most  help  their  girls  could  give  to  the 
nation,  to  the  church  and  the  communi- 
ty. I  prize  every  letter  telling  of  the 
widespread  and  numerous  activities 
throughout  the  church.  For  example, 
the  following  are  types  of  service  ren- 
dered :  Bennion  Ward  girls  cooperated 
with  Relief  Society  members  and  col- 
lected used  clothing;  two  honor  badges 
were  earned  by  girls  in  Cottonwood 
Stake  assisting  to  keep  the  chapel  clean; 
the  majority  of  the  Guardian  Bee  Hive 
girls  in  Ensign  Stake  gave  two  and  a 
half  hours  for  twelve  weeks  taking  a 
Junior  nursing  course  under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Red  Cross;  the  girls  in  Og- 
den  collected  needles  for  making  sewing 
kits  for  soldiers;  and  Wells  Stake  made 
fifty  books  containing  cut-out  cartoons 
and  other  interesting  pictorial  material 
for  the  enjoyment  of  the  men  in  hos- 
pitals." 

Here  then  is  a  program  that  fills  one 
of  the  many  needs  of  today — giving  as- 


BEE  HIVE 

GIRLS 

WATERLOO 

WARD, 

WELLS 

STAKE, 

DISPLAY 

THEIR 

WAR 

WORK 


sistance  in  the  war  effort  and  activities 
— and  at  the  same  time  holds  the  inter- 
est of  the  teen  age  group.  Right  now, 
everyone  feels  concerned  about  these 


%fo^  $«,A«Aau 


young  girls,  but  more  people  could  give 

practical  encouragement  and  assistance 

if  they  would  analyze  conditions  in  their 

( Continued  on  page  181) 


A^tokA  $€£-\Ua$ttftu 


MARCH.  1944 


155 


Books 


deals  with  prose,  and  printing  samples,  the 
authors  proceed  to  indicate  the  manner  in 
which  the  prose  is  faulty.  With  this  kind  of 
book  at  hand,  writers  should  be  able  to  reach 
an  absolute  statement  permitting  language 
to  clarify  rather  than  cloud  what  they 
write. — M.  C.  J. 

LIBERAL  EDUCATION 
(Mark  Van  Doren.   Henry  Holt  and  Com- 
pany, New  York.  1943.  186  pages.  $2.50.) 

What  the  war  has  done,  and  threatens 
still  to  do,  to  the  program  of  liberal 
education   in   the  United    States  it  is   the 


JOSEPHS  CITY  BEAUTIFUL 
(Mabel  Adelina  Sanford.    Herald  Pub- 
lishing House,  Independence,  Mo. 
207  pages.) 

This  story  is  a  vehicle  for  describing 
events  and  persons  in  "Old  Nauvoo." 
The  story  begins  with  converts  to  the  faith 
in  Lancashire,  England,  and  follows  the  for- 
tunes of  these  people  to  the  days  immediate- 
ly after  the  martyrdom  of  Joseph  and  Hy- 
rum.  Figures  well  known  in  Mormon  his- 
tory appear  in  the  story,  including  Douglas 
and  Lincoln.  The  book  is  written  from  the 
point  of  view  of  the  Reorganized  Church. 

— /.  A.  W, 
THE  REPUBLIC 

(Charles  A.  Beard.    Viking  Press,  New 
York.    1943.    365  pages.    $3.00.) 

Based  on  a  series  of  conversations  with 
fictitious  characters,  Professor  Beard 
analyzes  the  constitution  of  the  United 
States  in  the  light  of  present-day  and  past 
happenings.  And  to  those  who  read  the 
book  carefully,  the  wonder  cannot  help  in- 
creasing that  those  who  formed  the  constitu- 
tion were  indeed  inspired  to  word  it  in  such 
a  way  that  it  has  endured  through  the  cen- 
turies. The  author,  long  recognized  as  the 
dean  of  American  historians,  carefully,  in- 
spirationally,  has  undertaken  to  build  in  the 
minds  of  his  readers  a  clear  conception  of 
what  this  republic  stands  for,  and  how  in 
the  light  of  succeeding  events,  the  constitu- 
tion has  been  found  more  inclusive  than  the 
founders  themselves  knew. 

The  Republic  is  a  book  that  all  Ameri- 
cans will  do  well  to  read  and  consider  care- 
fully.—m.  a  j. 

AMEN,  AMEN 

(S.  A.  Constantino,  Jr.  Harper  &  Brothers, 

New  York.   1944.    184  pages.   $2.00.) 

To  have  a  youthful  ensign  write  this  in- 
vigorating approach  to  a  study  of  God 
in  his  relations  to  man  and  modern  situa- 
tions is  really  refreshingly  stimulating.  Al- 
ways completely  frank,  the  author  never 
offends  but  he  does  make  his  reader  realize, 
with  the  force  of  positive  impact,  the  neces- 
sity for  keeping  morally  straight.  And  he 
blames  the  present  tragic  condition  of  social 
diseases  to  the  fact  that  young  folk  have 
been  reared  without  hearing  the  word  of 
God,  and  therefore  "have  no  inherently 
sacred  reason  why  they  should  do  this.  .  .  ." 
And  later  he  says,  "And  sixty  percent  of  the 
people  of  this  nation — adults  and  kids — 
profess  no  formal  faith."  The  author  feels 
that  if  we'll  follow  the  Ten  Commandments 
we  shall  have  gone  a  long  way  towards  re- 
storing goodness  to  the  world. 

The  book  is  written  to  catch  the  interest 
of  old  and  young — and  will  bring  those  up 
short  who  have  felt  that  their  religion  was 
something  for  Sunday  alone. — M.  C.  /. 

THE  READER  OVER 
YOUR  SHOULDER 

(Robert  Graves  and  Alan  Hodge. 
Macmillan,  New  York.   1943. 
446  pages.    $3.00.) 

This  unusual  book  will  prove  invaluable 
to  the  student  of  English  or  to  the  one 
who  wishes  to  write.  The  authors  begin  with 
an  acceptance  of  the  peculiar  qualities  of 
English  and  the  present  confusion  to  be 
found  in  English  prose.  They  then  give  an 
historical  approach  through  the'.:  various 
styles  that  have  been  developed  and  make  a 
plea  for  better  writing.    The  final   section 

156 


immediate  purpose  of  this  book  to  describe. 
That  is  the  body  of  the  book;  the  message 
that  now  is  the  time  to  formulate  the  liberal 
education  of  the  future  is  its  spirit.  Mark 
Van  Doren,  gifted  writer  and  poet,  who  has 
himself  been  a  successful  teacher,  presents 
here  what  really  amounts  to  a  philosophy  of 
education.  "There  must  be  a  natural  order 
of  learning.  .  .  .  The  proper  one  may  not 
be  found  till  doomsday;  but  no  educator  is 
true  to  his  trust  who  does  not  try  to  find 
it."   Van  Doren  writes  with  the  conviction 


(Concluded  on  page  166) 


IN  THE  MISSIONS,  AT  HOME, 
ABROAD- 

Latter-day  Saints  Everywhere 
buy  through  our  mail  order  service! 


HOW  TO  BE  WELL $2.00 

By  LEAH  D.  WIDTSOE 
Hundreds  of  health-building  menus  and  recipes  to  help  you  live  the 
Word  oi  Wisdom. 

A  VOICE  FROM  THE  DUST $3.00 

By  GENET  BINGHAM  DEE 
The  Book  of  Mormon  illustrated.    A  consistent  "best  seller." 

PRESIDENTS  OF  THE  CHURCH $2.50 

By  PRESTON  NIBLEY 
The  only  book  of  its  kind.    Up-to-date,  inspirational. 

THE  RESTORED  CHURCH $2.00 

By  WILLIAM  E.  BERRETT 
New   edition   of   this   popular  history  is   ready.     Used   in   seminaries 
and  by  M.I.A.  Special  Interest  groups. 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  MORMON  PIONEERS  ....$2.00 

By  MABEL  S.  HARMER 
The  great  story  written  expressly  and  successfully  for  young  people. 

JOSEPH  SMITH,  AN  AMERICAN  PROPHET  ....$3.00 

By  JOHN  HENRY  EVANS 
Non-members  applaud   this  book  for  its  frank,  courageous   praise   oi 
the  Prophet.    Members  read  it  with  enthusiasm  and  delight. 

A  NEW  WITNESS  FOR  CHRIST  IN  AMERICA..$1.75 

By  FRANCIS  W.  KIRKHAM 
A   powerful    array   of   evidence   in   support   of   the   Book   of   Mormon. 

There  are  scores  of  others.    Send  for  our  price  list.    Tell  us  what  you  want, 

and  we'll  get  it,  if  it  is  in  print. 

DESERET    BOOK    COMPANY 

44  East  South  Temple  Street,  P.  O.  Box  958 
Salt  Lake  City  10,  Utah 

Publishers  and  Distributors  for  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints 


THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


VIGIL 


Dm  J^adie  ^M.  Ljreenhalak 


A 

x  A.DA  knew  the  small  traveling 
bag  was  still  open  on  the  bed.  She  knew 
what  was  in  every  corner,  though  her 
eyes  were  now  blurred  with  tears  so 
that  she  could  no  longer  see.  There  was 
such  a  little  bit  these  soldier  boys  could 
take  with  them. 

It  had  been  different  putting  things 
in  Donald's  case  when  he  left.  She  had 
smiled,  and  felt  comforted,  as  she  placed 
his  worn  Bible  with  the  other  contents. 
For  two  years  he  had  used  it  in  the  mis- 
sion field.  He  knew  its  contents  and  he 
loved  it.  She  pictured  him  reading  it  at 
camp,  and  finding  strength  in  its  mes- 
sages, along  with  the  comforting  prom- 
ises they  had  read  together  from  his 
patriarchal  blessing. 

Yes,  she  had  put  a  Bible  in  with 
Vance's  things  also,  but  it  was  a  brand 
new  one,  only  opened  to  the  fly  leaf 
where  she  had  written  the  few  sentences 
she  hoped  would  be  read.  Beyond  that 
she  had  no  assurance  that  Vance  would 
take  time  to  read  further — or  under- 
stand, if  he  did  read. 

She  had  approached  the  subject  of  a 
blessing,  and  she  couldn't  help  loving 
this  young  reckless  son  of  hers  as  he 
had  smiled,  tilted  her  chin  up,  and  said: 

"Blessing?  With  you  praying  for  me 
three  times  a  day?  How  many  blessings 
do  you  think  I  need?" 

True,  she  had  prayed,  it  seemed  a 
hundred  times  a  day,  hoping  some 
avenue  would  open  up,  before  Vance's 


John 


time  came  to  go,  that  would  give  her 
some  hope  and  faith  that  he  would  be 
steadfast  while  in  the  army,  and  return 
to  her  the  same  clean,  strong  youth  that 
was  leaving.  Now  the  last  evening  was 
here. 

Donald  had  not  had  room  to  take 
all  the  books  he  would  have  liked  to, 
the  keepsakes,  and  remembrances  that 
had  always  been  a  part  of  his  life. 
Vance's  case  seemed  lacking  in  these 
things  he  had  failed  to  cherish  all  his 
life. 

Jlerhaps  the  doorbell  had 
rung  twice,  or  three  times  before  Ada 
finally  became  aware  of  its  tinkling. 
Mechanically  she  made  her  way  to  the 
door  and  opened  it. 

"Good  evening,  Mrs.  Allen."  It  was 
the  lovely  face  of  Nadine  Brown  that 
looked  up  shyly  at  the  older  woman. 

"I  had  a  few  things  I  would  like 
Vance  to  take  with  him — if  you — think 
it  would  be  all  right.  I  knew  he  would 
be  at  the  banquet  with  his  father  and 
thought  you  might  slip  them  in  while  he 
was  away." 

"Come  in,  dear,  of  course  you  may. 
I  was  just  checking  over  his  things 
now." 

Ada  had  put  her  arm  around  the  girl's 
shoulders  and  was  guiding  her  toward 
Vance's  room,  as  she  spoke. 

Nadine  took  three  white  envelopes 
from  her  purse.  She  looked  up  shyly  at 
the  mother  of  this  boy  she  loved.   It  was 


MARCH,  1944 


hard  to  know  what  to  do,  or  say,  at 
times  like  this.  As  she  looked  at  Ada 
the  smile  she  received  in  return 
strengthened  her.  They  should  know 
each  other's  thoughts;  after  all,  they 
both  had  the  same  hope  in  their  hearts. 
They  could  help  each  other  through  the 
lonely  days  ahead. 

Nadine's  head  went  up  a  little  higher 
and  there  was  a  bolder  look  in  her  eyes 
as  she  reached  in  the  envelope  and 
brought  out  a  lone  cigaret. 

Ada  couldn't  help  looking  puzzled. 
Youth  was  so  hard  to  understand  these 
days.  Nadine  laughed  a  little  shy  laugh. 

"I  guess  it  does  look  funny,  but  you 
see,  it  will  have  a  meaning  for  Vance. 
We  were  in  the  canyon  together  the 
first  time  we  really  seemed  to  notice 
each  other.  The  two  of  us  were  sent  to 
the  creek  for  the  cream  that  was  cool- 
ing, and  while  there  he  asked  me  for  a 
date.  Then  he  took  this  from  his  pocket 
to  put  in  his  mouth.  I'd  been  admiring 
him  during  the  afternoon.  When  he 
smiled  he  showed  white  teeth.  Some- 
how I  didn't  like  the  idea  of  this  cigaret 
discoloring  them,  so  I  took  it  away  and 
told  him  it  was  a  date  if  he  threw  this 
in  the  creek.  He  looked  at  it  awhile 
and  then  said:  'Better  than  that,  I'll  give 
it  to  you.  Next  time  I  want  one  I'll  ask 
you  to  give  it  back  to  me.'  So  you  see, 
it's  a  challenge  to  him.  I'm  not  really 
worried  though.  We've  discussed  the 
matter  since  and  he  admits  it  was  only 
a  manner  of  showing  off  and  thinking 
he  was  impressing  someone." 

Ada's  heart  filled  with  gratitude  as 
she  realized  what  she  owed  this  young 
girl  before  her. 

There  was  a  fat  envelope,  all  sealed, 
and  on  the  outside  the  words:  "When 
you  feel  like  giving  up,  read  this." 

"I  hope  I've  said  things  in  the  right 
way  to  encourage  him  when  he  needs 
it,"  was  the  explanation  she  made  as 
she  tucked  it  into  his  case. 

XT  ROM  the  last  envelope  she 
took  a  pressed  rose.  A  little  card  at- 
tached to  it  read:  "I'll  be  waiting  to 
hear  the  other  chapter." 

Her  cheeks  were  flushed  as  she  raised 
her  head.  "It's  from  the  corsage  he 
brought  me  for  the  dance  last  week;  It 
was  a  lovely  evening,  after  he  told  me 
there  was  a  lot  he'd  like  to  tell  me  if 
there  wasn't  a  war,  and  his  country 
didn't  need  him;  but  as  it  was,  the  last 
chapter  would  have  to  wait  until  he 
returned." 

There  were  tears  in  her  eyes  as  she 
added.  "I'll  pray  every  day  that  he'll 
return.   I  want  him  to  tell  me  the  rest/' 

Ada's  eyes  were  wet,  too.  Her  arm 
tightened  around  Nadine  and  she  kissed 
her  white  forehead. 

"We'll  both  pray,"  she  said,  "and 
God  will  hear  our  prayers.  He  always 
does— and  answers  before  it  is  too 
late."-  •' 

,157 


The  Chwel 

Welfare  Handbook 


A  handbook  of  instructions  describing 
■f*  the  objectives,  scope,  and  functions 
of  the  church  welfare  program  has  been 
issued  by  the  general  committee  for  free 
distribution  to  all  welfare  workers,  par- 
ticularly the  ward  and  stake  welfare 
chairmen. 

Prepared  at  the  suggestion  of  the  first 
presidency  of  the  church,  and  styled 
"Preliminary  Edition  of  Revised  Wel- 
fare Handbook,"  it  gives  adequate  and 
official  treatment  of  the  welfare  plan 
in  all  its  phases:  history,  organization, 
determining  needs  of  the  people,  fi- 
nances and  contributions,  rendering  as- 
sistance and  providing  employment 
through  work  projects,  storage  and  dis- 
tribution of  commodities,  meeting  cash 
needs  of  ward  members,  agricultural 
rehabilitation,  '  hospitalization,  public 
aid,  accidents  and  injuries.  Charts  and 
an  index  complete  the  seventy-five-page 
Booklet. 

,'  The  handbook  is  evidence  of  the  un- 
believable growth  of  welfare  work,  in- 
augurated in  1936,  and  will  itself  facili- 
tate the  program's  further  development 
by  the  detailed  information  and  ready 
help  it  puts  at  the  disposal  of  welfare 
^workers. 

Salt  Lake  Temple  Presidency 

Robert  L.  Burton  of  Ogden  and 
Jesse  Will  Knight  of  Provo,  Utah, 
have  been  appointed  by  the  first  presi- 
dency as  first  and  second  counselors  in 
the  Salt  Lake  Temple  presidency.  They 
succeed  Mark  Austin  and  David  A. 
Broadbent,  who  have  served  since  Sep- 
tember 1940.  President  Stephen  L. 
Chipman  of  the  Salt  Lake  Temple,  who 
was  appointed  in  April  1937,  remains. 

National  Speech  Honors 

Cignal  honor  recently  was  accorded 
^  Joseph  F.  Smith,  patriarch  to  the 
church  and  former  head  of  the  depart- 
ment of  speech  at  the  University  of 
Utah,  in  his  election  in  New  York  as 
first  vice  president  of  the  National  As- 
sociation of  Teachers  of  Speech.  It  is 
the  second  time  that  he  has  held  this 
position—so  far  as  is  known,  the  only 
one  to  be  twice  elected.  Now,  through 
a  recent  constitutional  amendment,  the 
vice  president  automatically  becomes 
association  president  the  following 
year. 

Arizona  Temple  President 

Elder  Harry  L.  Payne,  former  presi- 
dent of  the  St.  Joseph  Stake,  has 
been  appointed  president  of  the  Arizona 
Temple  at  Mesa,  succeeding  President 
Charles  V.  Pugh. 

President  Payne,  a  life-long  church 
worker,  has  filled  missions  in  the  South- 
ern States  and  Mexican  missions.  Presi- 
dent Pugh  has  served  at  Mesa  since 
September  1940. 
158 


^^sr^^T^^^F^'^rsr^^^r^^^^^^^np'^sr^r^^r^'"^-^ 


ELDRED  L. 
WALDRON 


CASTLE  H. 
MURPHY 


Hawaiian  Mission  Change 

/^astle  H.  Murphy  of  Ogden,  on 
^*  January  21  was  appointed  by  the 
first  presidency  to  head  the  Hawaiian 
Mission.  He  succeeds  Eldred  L.  Wal- 
dron,  who  has  served  as  mission  presi- 
dent since  the  spring  of  1942. 

President  and  Mrs.  Murphy  have  de- 
voted fourteen  years  previously  to  the 
church  in  the  Hawaiian  Islands.  They 
served  together  as  missionaries  from 
1909  to  1913.  In  1930  he  was  named 
president  of  the  mission  and  he  served 
until  1936.  In  1938  he  was  called  to 
preside  over  the  Hawaiian  Temple,  a 
position  which  he  held  until  1941. 

President  Waldron  will  resume  his 
former  duties  as  secretary  of  both  the 
Hawaiian  and  Japanese  missions  and 
clerk  of  the  Oahu  Stake. 

Grantsville  Stake 

f*  rantsville  Stake  was  created  Jan- 
*"*  uary  1 6  by  a  division  of  the  Tooele 
Stake.  Paul  E.  Wrathall,  bishop  of  the 
Grantsville  First  Ward,  was  sustained 
as  president,  with  James  R.  Williams 
and  George  Noal  Anderson  as  coun- 
selors. 

All  members  of  the  presidency  of  the 
Tooele  Stake  were  re-sustained. 

The  new  Grantsville  Stake  includes 
the  Grantsville  First  and  Second  wards, 
Batesville  (Erda),  Lake  Point,  Clover, 
St.  John  wards,  and  the  Wendover 
Branch. 

Wards  remaining  in  the  Tooele  Stake 
are  the  Tooele  First,   Second,  Third, 

SANTA  BARBARA  BRANCH 
One  of  the  many  Latter-day  Saint  groups  on  the 
coast  rapidly  outgrowing  chapel  accommodations. 
Myron  H.  Peck,  Frank  Done,  and  Albert  0.  Mitchell 
are  the  branch  presidency. — Submitted  by  Klaus 
Kemp. 


Fourth,  and  Fifth  wards,  Vernon  and 
Lake  View  wards,  and  the  Stockton, 
Mercur,  and  Ophir  branches. 

The  reorganization  was  directed  by 
Elder  Joseph  Fielding  Smith  of  the 
council  of  the  twelve. 

British  Mission  Growth 

Acting  President  Andre  K.  Anas- 
%*  tasiou  has  recently  written  con- 
cerning the  British  Mission: 

We  have  had  many  wonderful  experi- 
ences and  blessings  as  well  as  trials  during 
the  war  years  in  looking  after  the  mission 
and  the  headquarters  of  the  church  in  Lon- 
don. 

The  Lord  has  been  very  merciful  to  us 
and  we  have  enjoyed  rich  blessings  almost 
continually.  We  are  handicapped  by  not 
having  sufficient  help  in  either  the  mission 
home  or  to  do  the  missionary  work.  Never- 
theless our  branches  have  increased  to  75 
from  68  in  1940.  Our  mission  has  been  self- 
sustaining  and  self-supporting  all  these  four 
years  and  we  have  faith  that  1944  will  be  a 
greater  year  than  the  preceding  ones. 

In  all  our  meetings  today  we  enjoy  the 
company  of  several  hundreds  of  American 
boys  who  visit  our  branches  and  the  head- 
quarters and  share  the  spirit  of  our  meet- 
ings. .  .  . 


OCTAVE  W. 
URSENBACH 

Appointed  to  the 
Canadian  Mission 

(See 

January  "Era" 

P.  30) 


New  Orleans  Branch 

rFHE   New    Orleans    branch   of   the 
■*■    church  recently  celebrated  its  one 
hundredth  anniversary  with  appropriate 
services. 

The  branch  began  to  function  in  1844, 
shortly  after  church  leaders  made  the 
city  a  port  of  entry  for  emigrating 
saints.  The  branch  functioned  for  elev- 
en years,  being  disbanded  in  1855.  It 
was  reorganized  in  1920. 

Today  it  has  1 74  members,  a  nucleus 
for  the  many  L.  D.  S.  service  men  who 
are  stationed  in  the  area. 


THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


CATALINA  ISLAND — Latter-day  Saints  in  maritime  training  with  the  U.S.  Merchant  Marine  on  Catalina  Island  meet  every  Sunday  and  conduct  their  own  services.  Tnty 
have  distributed  seventy-five  sets  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  and  "Principles  of  the  Gospel"  to  service  men  and  baptized  a  shipmate.  New  faces  appear  and  old  ants  "ship  out"  at 
each  new  training  period  ends. — Reported  by  Reed  W.  Benson. 


FROM  ENGLAND— -British,  Canadian,  and  American  members  of  the  church  in  the  armed  forces  stationed  in  England  are  shown  here  in  special  conference  held  September 
1943,  at  Ravenslea  Chapel,  in  Southwest  London.  Commanding  officers  were  generous  in  releasing  their  men  for  the  two-day  gathering.  Among  the  150  who  attended  were  many 
who  had  previously  served  missions  in  Great  Britain  and  on  the  continent.  Leading  theme  was  the  value  of  the  church  and  its  part  in  establishing  peace. — Reported  by  Lt.  J. 
Allen  Jensen,  U.S.  Army  Photo. 


Excommunications 

Derondo  Verdell  Farnsworth,  born 
November  17,  1905,  a  seventy.  Ex- 
communicated December  29,  1943,  in  Ogden 
Twenty-second  Ward,  Weber  Stake. 

Larkin  Harris  Egbert,  born  March  8,  1906. 
Excommunicated  January  2,  1944,  in  First 
Ward,  Park  Stake,  at  own  request. 

LeGrand  Lindsley,  born  March  22,  1920, 
deacon.  Excommunicated  January  16,  1944, 
First  Ward,  Park  Stake. 

Delvin  Horace  White,  born  February  29, 
1891.  Excommunicated  January  14,  1944, 
in  Cambridge  Branch,  New  England  Mis- 
sion. 

Elsie  Belle  Gould  White,  born  August  27, 
1896.  Excommunicated  January  14,  1944, 
at  Cambridge  Branch,  New  England  Mis- 
sion. 

Ruth  Alberta  Gray  Forster,  born  March 
13,  1921.  Excommunicated  August  24, 
1943,  at  Barnum  Ward,  Denver  Stake. 

Frank  Perry,  Sr.,  born  June  25,  1899, 
priest.  Excommunicated  August  24,  1943, 
at  Barnum  Ward,  Denver  Stake. 

Frank  Perry,  Jr.,  born  August  15,  1925. 
Excommunicated  August  24,  1943,  at  Bar- 
num Ward,  Denver  Stake. 

Luella  Perry,  born  June  11,  1903.  Ex- 
communicated August  24,  1943,  at  Barnum 
Ward,  Denver  Stake. 

(Concluded  on  page  184) 

MARCH,  1944 


MISSIONARIES  LEAVING  FOR  THE  FIELD  JANUARY  20,  1944 

First  row,  left  to  right:   Thelma  Taylor,  Irene  C.  Bawden,  Virginia  Price,  Bernice  Bingham,  Don  B.  Cotton, 
(Salt  Lake  Mission  Home  director),  Amy  V.  Stucki,  Laura  M.  Jenkins,  Hannah  Saunders. 

Second  row:    Bliss   Roberts,   Lillian  C.  Roberts,   Maurice  G.   Hiatt,   Pauline  Black,  Julia  Sorensen,    Emily 
Davis  Wallentine,  R.  W.  Wallentine,  Alma  Saunders,  Malinda  S.  Mathews,  Nephi  P.  Mathews. 

Third  row:    Joan  McQueen,  H.  Elizabeth  Dale,   Delma  Jepson,  Theresa  Farnsworth,  Viola  Burrows,   Orson 
Allen,   Elizabeth  J.  Allen,  John  A.  Call. 

Fourth  row:    Charles  Gilbert,  Annie  W.  Gilbert,  Nina,   Hair,   Donna  B.   Heywood,  Sarah   M.  Chard,  David 
E.  Chard,  Joseph  S.  Bailey,  Gertrude  U.  Baker,  Mavis  Baker. 

Fifth  row:    Dorothy  V.  Peterson,  H.  S.  Winterton,  Mrs.  H.  S.  Winterton,  Beth  Soffe,  Helen  Pay,   Henry 
T.  Maw,  Henry  Teuscher,  Harold  Pyper,  Glen  Mehr. 

Sixth  row:    Elaine  Richards,  Oscar  Bluth,  Jr.,   Norma  Jones,  J.   Noolander,  Fred  Yost,  George  A.  Liinford, 
Frank  Call. 

Seventh  row:    William  E.  Berrett  (instructor),  Wilford  Cyrus  Vawdrey,  D.  F.  Parker,  Leffel  A.  Bean,  Mark 
Dunford  Weston,  Elden  E.  Eklund,  Herman  Black. 


Eighth  row:    Norma  Baldwin,  Wilford  W.  Clark. 


159 


Editorials 


L^onference    f/otlce 


'T'he  One  Hundred  Fourteenth  Annual  Confer- 
A  ence  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints  will  be  held  in  Salt  Lake  City,  on  April 
6  to  9,  1944.  Details  will  be  announced  later  as 
to  who  may  attend  and  where  the  meetings  will 
be  held. 


_^v  u  fatter  of  (Ltnpk 


w 


a5i6 


riTH  each  new  step  in  the  creation,  the  concluding 
verse  runs,  "And  God  saw  that  it  was  good."  In 
the  desire  to  know  the  logic  of  preparation  of  the  earth 
for  man's  occupancy  and  dominion,  too  frequently 
everything  except  the  goodness  of  the  separate  creations 
has  been  stressed.  In  the  hurry  of  the  modern  world, 
man  is  prone  to  forget  that  he  was  given  leadership 
over  the  earth — and  not  the  world  given  power  over 
him.  In  a  peculiar  way,  man  has  come  to  let  the  earth 
rule  him,  instead  of  his  ruling  the  earth. 

How  many  times  does  a  person  hear  himself  say,  "I 
can't  afford  it"?  How  frequently  do  parents  close  dis- 
cussion with  their  children  by  saying,  "We  simply  can't 
afford  that"?  Instead  of  controlling  situations,  persons 
have  the  tendency  to  let  themselves  be  managed  by  ex- 
ternal forces. 

These  folk  would  do  well  to  consider  how  many 
truly  magnificent  things  in  the  world  do  not  cost  money 
— that,  in  fact,  the  most  precious  things  they  have  are 
not  purchasable.  One  of  the  main  reasons  for  joy  lies 
in  the  earth  itself — for  it  is  good.  Sunsets,  sunrises, 
country  lanes,  rivers,  lakes,  mountains,  all  these  are  free 
merely  for  the  looking.  One  doesn't  need  a  car  to  get 
to  the  mountains  to  be  able  to  appreciate  their  chal- 
lenge. One  doesn't  need  to  go  to  the  lake  for  a  swim 
to  know  its  restfulness.  Oftentimes  the  tree  in  the  gar- 
den can  give  the  courage  that  one  needs  to  face  some 
of  life's  vicissitudes. 

Yet,  for  the  lack  of  a  little  imagination,  children  are 
robbed  of  these  beneficences,  because  it  seems  so  much 
easier  at  the  time  to  say,  "We  can't  afford  it,"  than  to 
point  out  ways  of  enjoyment  that  are  free  and  of  vaster 
worth  than  many  of  the  things  that  may  be  purchased 
with  money. 

Building  of  lasting  friendships,  based  on  a  community 
of  interests  heightened  by  intelligent  conversations  and 
deep,  spiritual  searchings  is  one  of  the  real  experiences 
of  life — and  yet  the  question  of  monetary  values  does 
not  enter  into  this  association.  Some  of  the  most  satis- 
fying moments  have  been  when,  walking  under  the  blue 
sky  or  sitting  quietly  at  home,  one  has  discussed  with  a 
congenial  person  such  ultimates  as  life  and  death,  life 
after  death,  the  purpose  of  earth-life,  and  the  Creator's 
eternal  plan.  Here,  no  thought  of  financial  assets  or 
disabilities  enters  into  consideration.  Rather  it  is  the 
ability  to  dig  deep  to  fundamentals  and  to  come  to  a 
more  complete  understanding  of  man's  ways  and  God's 
ways  that  is  uppermost. 

The  choir  sings  exquisitely,  "The  earth  is  the  Lord's 
and  the  fulness  thereof,"  and  the  auditors  do  not  stop 
to  realize  that  they  are  permitted  by  the  Creator's  good- 


ness to  share  in  the  fulness  of  the  earth.  Rather  they 
become  discontented  and  unhappy  because  they  feel 
they  haven't  sufficient  money  to  buy  external  things  to 
try  to  attain  an  inward  peace. 

The  measure  of  content  is  within  each  person — to 
use  or  abuse.  If  each  would  seriously  consider  what 
he  prizes  most,  he  would  surely  see  that  it  is  not 
the  things  of  monetary  worth  that  he  measures  his  con- 
tent by;  it  is  the  measure  of  knowledge  he  has  of  life 
itself.  While  there  are  those  who  rush  from  purchase 
to  purchase,  vainly  thinking  that  through  ownership 
they  come  to  a  point  of  peace,  the  thoughtful  person 
knows  that  such  reasoning  is  fallacious.  All  would  be 
wise  if  they  would  accept  the  fact  that  nothing  ever 
permanently  belongs  to  anyone — except  the  philosophy 
which  they  develop  and  which  they  will  carry  with  them 
not  only  throughout  this  life  but  through  the  eternity  that 
lies  ahead.  In  the  homes,  let  the  stress  be  rather  on 
the  good  things  of  life  that  are  had  for  the  development 
of  the  seeing  eye,  the  understanding  heart.  Let  remem- 
brance turn  to  the  Savior  of  mankind  who,  though  he 
had  "not  where  to  lay  his  head,"  brought  hope  and  com- 
fort to  all  who  would  listen  to  his  message  of  the 
brotherhood  of  man  and  the  fatherhood  of  God. 

— M.  C.  /. 


LJn  iOelna  *djet 


f 


lermvne 


a,   icjuletm 


a 


JUIost  men,"  said  Thoreau,  "lead  lives  of  quiet  des- 

•LVA  peration."  It  is  less  sensational,  but  let  us  hope 
more  true,  to  say  that  "Most  men  lead  lives  of  quiet 
determination."  Were  it  not  so,  we  should  be  standing 
forever  among  the  ruins  of  our  own  and  the  world's 
lost  causes  instead  of  on  the  threshold  of  an  eternal 
hope. 

Quiet  determination  characterized  the  ministry  of 
Jesus :  daily  he  went  about  his  Father's  business,  though 
painfully  aware  how  little  even  those  closest  to  him 
understood  what  that  business  was.  The  Lincoln  of  the 
war  years  was  able  to  hold  the  Union  together  because 
the  Lincoln  of  early  obscurity  had  resolved  to  study 
and  prepare  himself  for  the  chance  that  would  some 
day  come.  Joseph  Smith,  his  world  in  turmoil,  but  at 
peace  with  himself,  moved  steadily  toward  his  Zion, 
striving  almost  beyond  his  strength  to  make  plain  to 
the  understanding  of  his  people  the  visions  that  unfolded 
before  him. 

These  men,  and  others  like  them,  did  not  need  to  pace 
the  corridors  of  their  minds  in  fretful  circles  or  look 
out  between  the  bars  of  too  narrow  souls  as  from  a 
prison.  They  did  not  consume  themselves  in  fevered 
burnings  that  shed  no  light  and  leave  only  ashes.  They 
knew  disappointment  and  they  knew  defeat;  but,  having 
faith,  they  did  not  know  frustration.  It  is  altogether 
possible  to  be  at  peace  within,  though  the  world  be  in 
flames  around  us;  and  it  is  altogether  possible  to  be 
troubled,  though  the  world  be  at  peace.  The  gospel 
has  nothing  to  do  with  quiet  desperation;  it  has  every- 
thing to  do  with  quiet  determination.  To  be  determined 
is  to  have  faith;  to  be  quietly  determined  is  to  accom- 
pany faith  with  humility.  "See  thou  say  nothing  to  any 
man" — it  must  be  faith  under  control,  a  self-assurance 
that  is  self-effacing. 

The  work  of  the  church,  as  of  the  world,  can  best 
be  done  by  people  quietly  determined  that  it  shall  be 
done  and  that  they  shall  have  part  in  it.  We  are  thank- 
ful that  there  are  such  people- — and  in  great  number. 

—W.M. 


160 


THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


Evidences  and 
reconciliations 

IxxuL    lA/kat  id  the  rlfeaning  or 
<=JJivine  cJLaw  / 


'"Phere  arc  at  least  three  classes  of  law:    those  of  na- 
*     ture,  of  man,  and  of  God — natural,  human,  and 
divine. 

In  the  field  of  natural  phenomena,  chiefly  in  the  ma- 
terial world,  man  discovers  by  observation  and  experi- 
mentation certain  invariable  regularities.  These  are 
laws  of  nature,  under  which  all  creation  moves.  That 
white  light  passing  through  a  glass  prism  is  always 
broken  into  a  band  of  colors  from  violet  to  red,  becomes 
a  law  of  nature.  That  there  is  a  mutual  attraction  among 
all  material  particles  in  the  universe  is  another  such  law. 
That  there  is  an  orderly  appearance  of  parental  quali- 
ties in  the  offspring  within  the  animal  and  plant  worlds 
is  still  another  law.  In  short,  a  natural  law  is  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  invariable  relations  among  natural  phenom- 
ena. 

Whenever  any  field  of  nature  is  investigated,  such 
regularities  are  discovered.  Laws  of  nature  are  there- 
fore the  products  of  a  search  for  truth.  Indeed,  the  dis- 
covery of  truth  carries  with  it  the  recognition  of  the 
orderly  sequence  of  phenomena  that  we  call  natural 
law.  Truth  and  law  always  travel  together.  Truth  is 
the  foundation  of  natural  law. 

It  is  now  the  settled  conviction  of  intelligent  people 
that  the  universe  is  one  of  order,  and  exists  under  a 
reign  of  law.  This  conforms  to  revealed  knowledge: 

And  again,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  he  hath  given  a  law 
unto  all  things,  by  which  they  move  in  their  times  and  their 
seasons;  And  their  courses  are  fixed,  even  the  courses  of  the 
heavens  and  the  earth,  which  comprehend  the  earth  and  all 
the  planets.    (D.  &  C.  88:42-43.) 

No  natural  law  can  be  abrogated  or  modified  by  man. 
The  ocean  tide  will  not  recede  at  the  mandate  of  a  king; 
and  the  sun  will  continue  to  rise  and  set,  irrespective  of 
human  wills.  Such  certainty  makes  knowledge  of  the 
law  of  first  importance.  The  assurance  of  the  continuity 
of  natural  law  really  gives  courage  and  power  to  man. 
He  knows  that  things  will  not  change  from  the  well- 
established  order  overnight.  He  knows  further  that  any 
change  is  only  produced  by  the  operation  of  some  law. 
He  can  count  on  certain  results  from  his  actions.  This 
would  be  impossible  in  an  intolerable  universe  of  chaos. 

The  laws  of  men  are  very  different.  They  are  regu- 
lations set  up  for  the  welfare  of  members  of  society,  or 
the  state,  or  the  leader  of  the  state.  They  are  intended 
chiefly  for  the  government  of  groups  of  many  individ- 
uals of  many  minds.  They  deal,  therefore,  with  human 
conduct.  They  declare  what  man  may  do  and  what  he 
may  not  do.  He  may  cross  a  city  street  against  a  green 
but  not  a  red  light.  He  may  claim  police  protection,  but 
must  pay  taxes.  Protection  against  theft  or  murder, 
sanitary  regulations,  assessment  of  taxes  for  the  sup- 
port of  public  institutions  and  the  like  are  human  laws 

Human  law,  as  natural  law,  must  be  founded  in  truth. 
Otherwise,  in  common  with  all  error,  it  enslaves  men 
and  becomes  dangerous.  Human  law,  under  the  govern- 
ment of  free  people,  concerns  itself  with  such  conduct 
as  will  preserve  peace  and  promote  the  welfare  of 
people.  Human  welfare,  call  it  human  happiness,  is  then 
the  truth  from  which  human  laws  should  issue.  Will  a 
law  benefit  all  who   come  under  its  operation?    The 


answer  determines  the  value  of  the  law  as  a  constant  in 
life.  Indeed,  there  is  no  other  way  to  the  freedom  of 
society.  Every  law  must  be  planned  for  the  benefit 
of  all. 

The  innumerable  human  laws  are  not  the  same  in 
all  countries,  nor  do  they  remain  the  same  in  any  coun- 
try. That  is,  they  do  not  conform  to  simple  truth.  They 
differ  and  change  according  to  supposed  needs.  There 
is  little  constancy  about  them.  They  are  too  often  the 
product  of  the  desires  of  persons  who  have  achieved 
power  in  the  land.  A  dictator  fashions  laws  to  keep 
himself  in  power,  though,  to  some  degree,  they  also 
benefit  the  populace.  Selfishness  determines  such  en- 
actments. That  type  of  self-seeking  is  opposed  to  the 
truth  embodied  in  the  doctrine  of  human  welfare. 

Were  man-made  laws  for  the  benefit  of  all  concerned, 
they  would  be  comparable  to  natural  law  in  certainty 
and  constancy  of  operation.  This  is  attained,  at  least 
in  part,  by  the  contrivance  of  constitutions  or  codes  of 
common  law.  These  instruments  state  or  embody  the 
principles  to  be  observed  in  all  laws  enacted  under  them. 
By  such  constant  bodies  of  reference  all  enactments  may 
be  tested.  Unfortunately,  neither  constitutions  nor  the 
laws  derived  from  them  are  always  true  to  the  principle 
of  welfare  for  all.  Change  and  uncertainty  inhere  in 
laws  of  man. 

Nevertheless,  a  person  living  under  a  constitutional 
government,  despite  the  imperfections  of  legal  enact- 
ments, is  required  by  the  Lord  to  obey  the  laws  of  the 
land.  Thus: 

Let  no  man  break  the  laws  of  the  land,  for  he  that  keepeth 
the  laws  of  God  hath  no  need  to  break  the  laws  of  the  land. 
(D.  &  C.  58:21.) 

The  laws  of  God  include  all  laws  founded  in  truth, 
whether  natural  or  proposed  by  man.  They  may  be 
recognized  as  of  divine  origin  by  a  changeless,  eternal 
mark.  They  operate  or  may  be  used  for  the  benefit  and 
well-being  of  man.  "Men  are  that  they  might  have  joy." 
(II  Nephi  2:25.)  There  is  no  deviation  from  this  pur- 
pose in  divine  law. 

Natural  law  really  conforms  to  this  eternal  purpose. 
By  man's  effort  every  law  may  be  made  to  contribute 
to  human  well-being.  Witness  the  gifts  to  man  through 
the  knowledge  and  use  of  surrounding  forces — the  steam 
engine,  the  electric  dynamo,  radio,  and  a  thousand  other 
blessings  to  man.  All  may  be  used  to  help  man  work 
out  his  divine  destiny.  For  this  purpose  these  everlasting 
relationships  of  the  forces  of  the  universe  have  been 
made  operative  in  the  world  of  men.  Thus,  the  Maker 
of  the  universe  uses  natural  law  to  help  accomplish  his 
designs  for  the  salvation  of  his  children. 

Likewise,  every  law  authorized  by  society  that  pro- 
vides for  permanent  human  welfare  is  truly  of  God. 
Personal  liberty,  the  right  of  self-expression,  protection 
against  evil-minded  persons,  the  privilege  to  live  life 
joyfully,  are  drawn  from  divine  law. 

In  every-day  language,  we  think  of  divine  laws  as 
commandments  operating  in  the  spiritual  domain.  Such 
are  the  ten  commandments,  the  beatitudes,  and  other 
divine  revelations  of  the  past  or  present.  They  are  laws 
and  required  ordinances  devised  to  assist  the  human  race 
upon  their  eternal  progressive  journey  and  to  bring  them 
into  close  communion  with  God.  They  are  the  highest 
and  final  statements  of  reference  for  testing  the  value  of 
existing  or  proposed  regulations  for  human  conduct. 

I  am  the  Lord  thy  God;  and  I  give  unto  you  this  com- 
mandment— that  no  man  shall  come  unto  the  Father  but  by 
me  or  by  my  word,  which  is  my  law,  saith  the  Lord.  (D.  & 
C.  132:12.) 

Such  pronouncements  have  basic  value.  They  become 
the  foundations  of  all  acceptable  law.  While  they  are 
called  commandments,  they  (Concluded  on  page  191) 


MARCH,  1944 


161 


Hoiiiig 


>J£h_3&J&J&Jh<J3sw. 


Rainy  days  can  be  red  letter  days 
for  the  children!  When  they  tire 
of  painting  pictures  and  playing 
"dress  up,"  and  blowing  soap  bubbles, 
here  are  some  simple  new  indoor  ac- 
tivities that  will  keep  them  busy  and 
happy  for  hours.  Not  only  do  these  ac- 
tivities furnish  entertainment,  they 
provide  opportunity  for  the  boys  and 
girls  to  exercise  their  initiative  and  in- 
ventiveness in  creating  and  in  manip- 
ulating, which  play  a  very  important 
part  in  every  child's  development. 

The  children  can  do  these  things  with 
little  or  no  adult  assistance,  or,  better 
yet,  they  make  it  possible  for  mothers 
and  children  to  have  fun  together. 

Finger  Painting.  If  the  children  are 
tired  of  making  crayon  or  water  paint 
pictures,  let  them  try  their  hands  at 
finger  painting.  Children  from  three  to 
twelve  like  it.  Even  children  who  do 
not  like  to  draw  and  color  and  who  are 
thought  not  to  possess  any  creative  art 
ability  usually  like  to  finger  paint.  In 
fact,  many  progressive  schools  recom- 
mend finger  painting  for  these  children, 
as  it  encourages  them  to  create. 

Finger  painting  is  a  rather  messy  busi- 
ness, but  if  you  are  one  of  those  moth- 
ers who  don't  mind  having  the  kitchen 
cluttered  up  a  bit,  the  children  will  find 
finger  painting  a  pleasant  piece  of  busy 
work. 

To  make  the  paint  mix  two  table- 
spoons of  cornstarch  to  a  thick  paste 
in  cold  water.  Pour  on  two  cups  of 
boiling  water  and  boil,  stirring  the  mix- 
ture until  clear  and  to  the  consistency 
of  rather  heavy  laundry  starch.  When 
cool  add  coloring — dye,  bluing,  or  cake 
coloring  may  be  used — and  make  the 
colors  deep  as  they  tend  to  fade  when 
dry.  If  the  children  want  to  use  more 
than  one  color,  divide  the  mixture  into 


IKalnu    <UJa 


f 


i 


FUN 


two  parts  and  make  each  a  different 
color. 

The  children  then  don  aprons,  spread 
newspapers  over  the  table,  and  find  big 
smooth  pieces  of  wrapping  paper  on 
which  to  paint — the  glazed  surface  of 
the  paper  bags  in  which  clothes  are  re- 
turned from  the  cleaners  makes  it  es- 
pecially adaptable.  Each  child  then  dips 
a  hand  into  the  mixture  and  spreads  the 
paint  over  the  entire  surface  of  the 
paper.  They  may  merely  make  big 
sweeping  rhythmic  designs  or  real  pic- 
tures with  people,  houses,  trees,  and 
animals  reduced  to  the  simplest  form 
possible. 

They  have  a  better  time  if  no  special 
instructions  are  given.  They  will  find 
that  moving  the  fingers  evenly  through 
the  paint  produces  a  smooth  line,  wig- 
gling the  fingers  produces  a  broken  line, 
and  rubbing  with  the  thumb  or  palm  of 
the  hand  produces  a  solid  effect. 

Soap  Carving.  Another  pleasant  way 
for  children  to  spend  a  rainy  afternoon 
is  to  carve  a  little  figure  from  soap.  Boys 
as  well  as  girls  enjoy  soap  sculpture. 

Standard  sized  cakes  of  white  soap 
like  Ivory  should  be  used.  The  only 
tools  needed  are  a  paring  knife  with  a 
medium-sized,  rather  thin  blade,  an  or- 
ange stick  used  in  manicuring,  or  a  nut- 
pick,  a  toothpick,  or  a  meat  skewer. 

First  of  all,  the  soap  should  be  laid 
on  a  piece  of  paper  and  the  outline  of 
the  soap  drawn  on  it.    The  soap  is  re- 


-Illustrated  by 
John  Henry  Evans,  ]r 


162 


By  KATHERINE  DISSINGER 

moved  and  a  sketch  of  the  figure  to  be 
carved  is  drawn  within  the  outline.  It 
is  well  to  select  a  simple  figure  of  an 
animal  or  bird,  such  as  an  elephant,  a 
chicken,  or  a  duck.  Then  all  the  letter- 
ing and  the  raised  edge  of  the  soap  are 
removed  from  the  cake  by  scraping  with 
the  knife.  The  drawing  is  cut  out,  laid 
on  the  soap,  and  the  outline  marked 
lightly  on  the  smooth  surface  of  the 
soap  with  the  pointed  orange  stick.  A 
straight  line  is  also  scratched  near  the 
bottom.  The  soap  below  this  line  will 
not  be  carved  at  all  but  will  make  a 
solid  base  for  the  figure  so  that  it  will 
stand. 

Holding  the  knife  as  though  he  were 
peeling  a  potato,  the  child  whittles  the 
soap  down  to  the  scratched  outline, 
cutting  directly  through  the  cake  of 
soap  and  cutting  a  very  small  amount 
at  a  time.  These  shavings,  of  course, 
are  saved  for  laundry  or  dishwashing. 

When  the  soap  has  been  cut  away, 
the  rough  edges  of  the  figure  are 
smoothed  with  the  knife,  and  the  eyes 
and  other  markings  which  give  the 
piece  life  and  character  can  be  scratched 
on  with  the  orange  stick  or  toothpick. 

The  completed  soap  sculpture  may 
be  painted  with  water  colors  and  shel- 
lacked with  clear  shellac  if  desired. 

Clay  Modeling.  Clay  modeling  is  an- 
other satisfying  handicraft.  The  equip- 
ment is  simple;  moist  clay  is  an  extreme- 
ly pleasant  medium  to  work  in,  and  the 
creative  possibilities  are  almost  un- 
limited. 

The  children's  first  attempt  should  be 
a  very  simple  piece  such  as  a  pin  dish 
or  a  little  animal — an  elephant,  a  bird, 
or  a  turtle. 

The  clay  rock  used  to  make  lasting, 
useful  articles  can  be  bought  from  any 
store  carrying  school  supplies  and  is 
quite  inexpensive,  usually  about  five  or 
six  cents  a  pound.  A  pound  of  clay 
rock  will  make  a  pin  dish  or  any  of  the 
small  animals  that  children  want  to 
make. 

The  clay  rocks  are  put  in  a  bucket, 
a  small  amount  of  water  is  added,  and 
the  clay  is  soaked  overnight  until  it  can 
be  mixed  and  kneaded  with  a  flat  stick. 

The  children  then  take  up  the  clay 
in  large  handfuls  and  throw  it  several 
times  against  a  cement  block  or  flat 
rock.  This  is  called  wedging  and  is  to 
remove  the  air  bubbles  so  that  the  fin- 
ished piece  will  not  crack. 

If  the  children  are  making  a  pin  dish, 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


they  make  a  round  clay  ball,  lay  it  on 
a  board  or  piece  of  heavy  cardboard 
and  flatten  it  with  their  thumbs,  mak- 
ing a  round,  smooth  base  about  2J/J 
inches  in  diameter  and  one-half  inch 
thick.  The  hands  should  be  dipped  in 
water  frequently  to  keep  the  clay  soft 
and  pliable  as  it  is  being  worked. 

With  an  orange  stick  or  meat  skewer 
the  children  poke  holes  close  together 
around  the  edge  of  the  base.  Another 
piece  of  clay  is  rolled  between  the  hands 
to  make  a  thick  round  coil,  "just  like  a 
weiner,"  one  little  boy  said,  which  is 
fitted  over  the  holes  in  the  base.  This 
coil  is  easily  blended  with  the  base,  us- 
ing the  thumbs  to  push  the  pieces  to- 
? ether  and  the  fingers  to  smooth  the 
umps  and  shape  the  piece.  Large 
bumps  may  be  scraped  or  shaved  off 
with  a  paring  knife  but  care  must  be 
taken  not  to  work  the  clay  too  thin. 

The  finished  piece  is  wrapped  in  a 
damp  cloth  and  allowed  to  dry  slowly. 
The  drying  requires  about  a  week,  after 
which  the  piece  is  sandpapered  and 
shellacked  with  clear  shellac  and 
painted  with  bright  enamel  when  the 
shellac  has  dried. 

To  make  the  clay  animals  a  round 
ball  is  rolled  between  the  palms  of  the 
hands  for  the  head;  a  large  ball  makes 
the  body.  The  two  shapes  are  then 
brought  together  by  pressing  clay  from 
the  end  of  the  body  well  over  the  end 
of  the  head.  It  is  essential  to  make  the 
two  balls  as  one.  The  legs  are  pulled 
out  from  the  body  and  shaped,  but  the 
shapes  must  be  kept  rather  bulky  to 
avoid  cracking.  Characteristic  mark- 
ings are  pressed  into  shape  with  the 
thumb  and  fingers. 

The  animals  may  be  placed  upon  a 
round  or  oblong  clay  base  before  dry- 
ing. After  they  are  dry,  they  may  be 
sandpapered,  shellacked,  and  painted. 


Handy  Hints 


?«££££« 


^rjxrcKn32Cccj3X!33anrc33r 


Payment  for  Handy  Hints  used  will  be 
one  dollar  upon  publication.  In  the  event 
that  two  with  the  same  idea  are  submitted, 
the  one  postmarked  earlier  will  receive  the 
dollar.  None  of  the  ideas  can  be  returned, 
but  each  will  receive  careful  consideration. 


I  have  saved  myself  some  painful  burns 
by  this  simple  method:  When  I  fry  fish, 
bacon,  or  meat,  I  turn  a  colander  upside 
down  over  it  while  it  is  frying.  In  this  way 
the  steam  can  escape  but  the  grease  can't 
spatter. — Mrs.  G.D.C.,  Columbus,  Ohio. 

To  get  the  copper  bottoms  of  stainless 
steel  kettles  bright  and  shiny,  wash  them 
with  vinegar  to  which  a  little  salt  has  been 
added. — Mrs.  W.  H.  E.,  Portland,  Oregon. 

So  many  good  recipes  call  for  grated 
cheese,  but  it  is  not  so  easy  to  grate  soft 
cheese  without  scraping  the  fingers.  Next 
time  try  this  simple  method:  force  the  cheese 
through  a  wire  strainer. — Mrs.  M.  D.,  St. 
George,  Utah. 

To  keep  your  cuticles  soft  and  lovely  put 

some  castor  oil  in  a  small  dish  and  heat  it. 

Then  soak  ends  of  fingers  in  it.    Take  a 

(Concluded  on  page  164) 

MARCH,  1944 


"YOU'LL  LOVE  THE 
COUNTRY-FRESH  FLAVOR 
OF  DURKEE'S  TROCO  MARGARINE! 


CHURNED    WITH     FRESH 

PASTEURIZED 

SKIM     MILK 


Yes,  the  country-fresh  flavor  of  Durkee's 
Troco  Margarine  makes  toast  taste  mighty 
good !  Try  Durkee's  Troco  Margarine  on 
hot  breads  and  potatoes,  too!  Your  whole 
family  will  love  it! 

SO  MILD. ..SO SWEET. ..SO  COUNTRY-FRESH  IN  FLAVOR 


,/ 


IOW      COST 

Protection 

FDR 

SUGAR    BEETS 

with    FARQUHAR 

IRON  ACE 

York,  Pa 

Traction  Sprayers 


"Iron  Age"  traction  sprayer— 
a  simplified  machine  capable  of 
handling  sugar  beet  protection 
as  efficiently  as  many  compli- 
cated and  higher  priced  spray- 
ers. 


Farquhar  Iron  Age  traction  sprayers  are  being  used 
extensively  not  only  in  important  sugar  beet  districts 
but  in  other  territories — for  potatoes,  tomatoes, 
beans,  cantaloupes,  etc.  Unusually  efficient  as  well 
as  economical,  they  give  all  the  essential  qualities 
desired  in  a  modem  sprayer,  such  as  thoroughness, 
speed,  easy  handling  and  trouble-free 
operation.  "Iron  Age"  traction  spray- 
ers are  especially  designed  to  spray  to 
the  very  ends  of  the  rows  ...  to  give 


WMRGIIWC-**! 


wm 


complete  coverage  of  the  plants  from  underneath,  as 
well  as  from  above  ...  to  provide  even  distribution 
of  spray  solution  without  excessive  visible  residue. 
Heavy  duty  mechanism,  strong  steel  frame,  and  ready 
adjustment  assures  long  life  with  minimum  mainte- 
nance. Tank  capacity  100  gal. — pump  pressures 
range  from  100  to  300  lbs. 
FREE!  The  "Iron  Age"  sprayer  catalog — fully  il- 
lustrated— with  specifications  for  the  entire  "Iron 
Age"  high  pressure  sprayer  line  and  accessories  for 
every  detail  incidental  to  the  spraying  of  row  crop, 
orchard  or  grove. 

MOUNTAIN      STATES      IMPLEMENT      CO. 
Ogden,  Utah 


A.  B.  FARQUHAR  COMPANY 

3408  DUKE  STREET,  YORK,  PENNSYLVANIA 


163 


NUT  BREAD 


Crunchy,  flavorful  nut  meats  in  a  delicious,  tender  bread  -  what  a  home- 
baked  treat  to  serve  to  your  family  with  tomorrow's  dinner!  And  then 
next  day  you  can  proudly  primp  up  the  lunch  boxes  with  healthy  sand- 
wiches of  nutbread  and  cream  cheese.  A-l  Nut  Bread  will  stay  moist 
and  fresh  -  and  is  guaranteed  to  be  a  success.  See  the  amazing  uncondi- 
tional guarantee  below. 


A-l   NUT  BREAD 

4  c.  Enriched  Glob*  "A1 "  Vi  C.  wgor 
Flour  1  c.  chopped  nut  meat* 

4  taps.  Double  Acting  2  c.  milk 

baking  powder  OR  2  tips,  salt 

(6  tip*.  Single  Acting)     4  Tb*p.  shorten- 

2  egg*,  slightly  beaten  Ing,  melted* 

Sift  flour  once,  measure;  add  bak- 
ing powder,  salt  and  sugar;  sift 
together  twice.  Add  nut  meats; 
mix  well.  Combine  milk  and  eggs. 
Add  to  dry  ingredients.  Add  short- 
ening, mixing  only  until  all  flour 


is  dampened.  Turn  into  well- 
greased  9x5-inch  loaf  pan,  filling 
34  full.  Push  batter  well  up  into 
the  corners  of  the  pan,  leaving  the 
center  slightly  hollowed.  Bake  in 
moderate  oven  (350*  F.)  for 
about  1 V4  hours.  Brush  top  with 
melted  butter,  if  desired.  Remove 
from  pan;  cool  completely  on 
cooling  rack  before  storing.  This 
bread  slices  better  on  the  second 
day. 


Til"  Hour.  If  you; ■"  "J*3  of  ich  In- 
fled  with  the  results, M  the  .,  to 
Jredient  (inciting  *e*°° '{£  Angele*  13. 

Calif.  Total  amount  w.u  oe 


*0*||, 


•Why  not  use  the  (tamp*  and  /^(A 
ca*h  you  get  for  your  watte  l«J  LJ 
kitchen    fat*    to    buy   extra 
shortening  for  home  baking? 


GLOBE 


ENRICHED  WITH  TWO 


FLOUR 


6-VITAMINS  AND  IRON 


A-l  FOR  EVERYTHING  YOU  BAKE 

To  be  sure  every  time — use  dependable 
Enriched  Globe  "Al"  Flour.  Especially 
milled  for  western  baking  conditions  Globe 
"Al"  insures  your  success.  Complete  sat- 
isfaction guaranteed  or  your  money  re- 
funded. 


Globe  "Al"  Flour 


164 


{Concluded  from  page  163) 

small  cloth  or  piece  of  cotton  and  push  back 
cuticles  from  fingernails.  It  will  also  soften 
skin  around  fingernails. — Miss  N.  M„  Salt 
Lake  City,  Utah. 

Secure  a  large  bath  powder  puff  and  an 
ordinary  household  cork.  Glue  the  cork  on. 
the  puff.  Use  as  a  puff  to  keep  your  bread 
board  floured.  The  cork  will  act  as  a  con- 
venient handle.  You  will  not  lose  any  of 
the  flour  in  this  manner  and  your  board  will 
always  be  evenly  floured. — Mrs.  P.  V.  S., 
New  York. 

Screw  a  few  hooks  into  the  bar  of  a  wood- 
en clothes  hanger  and  hang  belts  from  the 
hooks.  One  hanger  can  carry  about  twenty 
belts  this  way. — Mrs.  G.  H.,  Hinckley, 
Utah. 

Friends  often  ask  for  slips  from  my  flow- 
ers. I  hate  to  break  my  nicest  plants,  so  I 
fill  a  large  box  with  good  soil  and  when 
the  children  break  a  slip  or  when  the  plants 
need  cutting  back  I  put  the  slips  in  this 
box.  Thus  I  have  nicely  rooted  slips  from 
most  of  my  plants  all  ready  when  my 
friends  ask  for  them.  If  an  original  plant  is 
destroyed,  I  have  one  in  the  box  to  re- 
place it. — Mrs.  R.  H.  K.,  Miami,  Florida. 

A  delicious  whipped  cream  substitute  is 
made  by  mashing  a  mellow  apple  and  add- 
ing to  the  white  of  an  egg  whipped  as  for 
meringue. — Mrs.  R.  E„  Tempe,  Arizona. 

Before  you  use  those  new  sheet  blankets, 
give  them  a  good  rinse  in  lukewarm  water. 
Add  about  two  tablespoons  of  vinegar  to 
the  water.  Your  blankets  will  last  longer, 
and  there  won't  be  nearly  so  much  lint. — 
Mrs.  M.  S.,  Bountiful  Utah. 

Cook's  Corner 

Josephine  B.  Nichols 

Ts  your  family  getting  its  protein  re- 
*■  quirement?  Serve  these  protein- 
rich  recipes. 

Cream  of  Pea  and  Soya  Soup 

1  No.  2  can,  or  2Yi  cups  cooked,  peas 
4  slices  onion 

2  tablespoons  fat 

2  tablespoons  flour 

1   teaspoon  salt 
dash  of  pepper 

4  cups  milk 
x/l  cup  soya  flour 

Boil  the  peas  and  onion  10  minutes,  then 
put  through  a  coarse  sieve.  Make  a  sauce 
of  the  fat,  flour,  seasonings,  and  3J/J  cups 
of  milk.  Mix  the  remaining  Yl  CUP  ol  milk 
with  the  soya,  then  blend  it  in  the  sauce. 
Add  the  sieved  vegetables  and  serve  hot. 

Soya-Cheese  Souffle 

1  tablespoons  fat 

2  tablespoons  flour 

Y2  cup  evaporated  milk 
Yi  cup  water 
Y2  CuP  grated  cheese 
Y  CUP  soya  grits  or  flour 
%  teaspoon  salt 
4  eggs,  separated 

Melt  the  fat,  blend  in  the  flour,  then  the 

milk.  Save  out  Yi  CUP  °i  tne  m^k  f°r  *ne 
soya  flour.  Stir  and  cook  over  low  heat 
until  sauce  thickens.  Add  the  cheese  and 
stir  until  it  melts.  Add  the  soya  grits  or  soya 
flour  mixed  with  milk.  Season.  Beat  the 
egg  yolks  and  egg  whites  well.  Mix  sauce 
with  egg  yolks,  and  fold  in  the  stiffly  beaten 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


whites.  Pour  into  a  greased  dish  and  bake 
in  a  very  moderate  oven  (300*)  for  about 
one  hour  or  until  the  mixture  sets.  Serve  hot. 

Mexican  Chili 

\x/2  pounds  meat,  cut  in  cubes    (beef  and 

pork  or  pork  and  veal) 

1^2  tablespoons  fat 

1  cup  chopped  celery 

1  cup  rice 

y2  cup  onion,  chopped 

J/;  cup  green  pepper,  chopped 

1  No.  2}^  can  of  tomatoes 

\x/2  teaspoon  salt 

J4  teaspoon  pepper 

1  cup  water 

2J/£  cups  cooked  kidney  beans 

1  teaspoon  chili  powder 

Brown  meat  in  hot  fat.  Add  celery,  rice, 
onion,  green  pepper,  tomatoes,  salt,  pepper, 
and  water.  Bring  to  boiling  point,  then  cov- 
er and  simmer  for  one  hour.  Add  kidney 
beans  and  chili  powder  and  cook  for  15 
minutes.   Serve  very  hot. 

Angel  Food  Apricot  Whip 
With  Chilled  Custard  Sauce 

3  egg  whites 


yk  cup  sugar 

Yi  teaspoon  lemon  juice 

1  cup  apricot  pulp 

34  teaspoon  salt 

Beat  egg  whites  stiff.  Add  sugar  and  salt 
gradually.  Add  lemon  juice.  Fold  in  apri- 
cot pulp.  Bake  in  a  moderate  oven  (325° 
F.)  for  20  minutes  or  until  firm.  Serve  with 
custard  sauce. 

Custard  Sauce 

3  egg  yolks 
spk.  salt 

3  tablespoons  sugar 
\x/2  cups  milk 
34  teaspoon  lemon  flavoring 

Beat  egg  yolks  slightly,  add  sugar,  salt, 
and  hot  milk.  Cook  in  double  boiler,  stir- 
ring constantly  until  mixture  coats  a  spoon, 
about  10  minutes.  Remove  from  heat,  add 
flavoring,  and  chill. 


Old  Sing-Lively 

{Concluded  from  page  136) 
ly,  now!   Sing  lively!"  before  he  started 
the  congregation  on  the  next  verse. 

When,  just  before  I  left,  I  called  for 
my  final  mail,  I  asked  the  postmaster 
what  Old  Sing-Lively's  real  name  was. 
That  worthy  official  massaged  his  chin 
thoughtfully  for  long  moments,  then 
shook  his  head. 

"I  don't  recollect  that  I  ever  did 
know  his  right  name,"  he  admitted  at 
last.  "I  don't  recollect  that  he  ever  got 
any  mail,  but  I  reckon  if  you  want  to 
send  him  any,  Old  Sing-Lively'll  find 
him  as  good  as  any.  Probably  better. 
He  was  Old  Sing-Lively  when  I  came 
here,  and  I've  never  heard  anyone  call 
him  by  any  other  name."  He  paused 
to  smile.  "And  I  reckon  that  name'll  get 
him  past  the  heavenly  gates,  too.  He'll 
only  have  to  say  that  he's  Old  Sing- 
Lively,  and  first  thing  you  know,  he'll 
be  out  there  in  front  in  all  his  new  glory, 
with  a  hymn  book  in  his  hand,  reading 
out  the  first  verse  and  then  sweeping 
the  heavenly  choir  with  his  gaze  as  he 
exhorts  them  to  'Sing  lively,  now!  Sing 
lively!'  " 

MARCH,  1944 


TIME  LOSS 


***  WAR  WORK 


BY 


YOUR 

HEALTH 


Supply  yourself  with  the  energy  you  need  to 
carry  on.  .  .  .  Correct  foods  will  help  you  stay 
on  the  job  thus  aiding  the  war  effort. 

Join  the  "SWING" 
to  MAID-0-BARLEY 

A  nutritional  easy-to-prepare  'warm  beverage  ab- 
solutely free  of  harmful  drugs. 

Roasted  and  Packed  By 

WISDOM    FOODS 

150  Pacific  Ave.  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

FOR  SALE  AT  ALL  GOOD  GROCERS 

If   you  are  unable  to   purchase  Maid-O-Barley  at 

your  dealers  we  will  mail  you  prepaid — 

4  pounds  for  SI. 00 
or  1  pound  package  for  29c. 


OUR  JOB  IN  THE  WAR  EFFORT  .  . 

The  production  of  more  eggs  . . .  more  poultry  .  . .  more  turkeys 
.  .  .  than  ever  before — for  our  armed  forces  .  .  .  for  lend-lease  pur- 
poses .  .  .  for  civilian  needs — that's  our  assignment. 

And  our  more  than  six  thousand  members  in  Utah  and  Idaho 
can  be  relied  on  to  do  their  best. 

Utah  Poultry  Producers' 

Co-operative  Association 

"milk  white"  eggs  and  poultry  .  .  .  "norbest"  turkeys 


AN  APOLOGY 

TO  OUR  PATRONS 

If  your  order  has  not  been  handled 
with  the  promptness  which  has 
marked  our  service  in  the  past,  it 
is  because  of  the  man  power  short- 
age. Our  business  requires  highly 
specialized  help  and  such  we  have 
been  unable  to  secure  recently. 
Please  help  us  by  sending  in  your 
orders  as  far  in  advance  as  pos- 
sible. 

HILLAM'S  COSTUME  SHOP 

Constitution  Bldg. 
Salt  Lake  City  1,  Utah 


we  orriR  . . . 

A  COMPLETE 
ENGRAVING  SERVICE 

From   Missionary   Portraits    to   the    Largest 

Catalogues 

Mail  Orders  Given  Prompt  Attention 

UTAH  ENGRAVING  CO. 

113  Regent  St.  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 


For  a  story  worth  the  telling 
read 

IN    THE    GDSPEL    NET 

By  Dr.  John  A.  Widtsoe 


51.25 


Illustrated 


At  all  Bookdealers 


165 


FOR  rf0dZ&&  *r%w&iie0 


Jit 

m 


i 


WITH 


ACCURACY 


***«* 


ll^wjk 


IIP  IS\  Wf  ^?  * 


B 


One-  and  two-row  sizes 
for  horses  and  tractor. 


JOHN  DEERE  Potato  Planters 

WITH  THE  DISTINCTIVE  12-ARM  PICKER  WHEEL 

Not  6!    Not  8!    But  12!    Any   less   is    not    enough  .  .  .  Any    more  is 

too  many  ...  This  year,  get  your  po- 
tato crop  planted  quicker,  yet  enjoy 
the  same  uniform  planting  that  was 
formerly  possible  at  horse  speeds  only. 

Built  in  one-row  and  two-row  sizes, 

these    modern    John    Deere     potato 

planters  with  the  distinctive  12-arm, 

staple-type   picker  wheel  enable  you 

to  plant  and  fertilize  at  tractor  speeds 

as  fast  as  4  miles  per  hour.  New  ca- 
pacity: up  to  15  acres 
per  day  with  two-row; 
up  to  7  acres  per  day 
with  one-row. 

If  you  need  a  new 
planter — or  anything  in 
the  line  of  potato-grow- 
ing equipment  for  1944 
— see  your  John  Deere 
dealer  first. 


BUY  MORE  BONDS  *  GET  IN  THE  SCRAP 


TEA  GARDEN 
PRESERVES 

. . .  something  to  remember  a  meal  by.  An  all-family  favorite. 


Book: 


WHEREVER  THEY  GO  .  . 

Editors: 

Just  walked  into  the  U.S.C 
there,    much    to    my    surprise, 
happy  and  thrilled  I  was.  .  .  . 

.  here  at 
lay    The 

Peru,  started 
Improvement 

Peru,  Indiana 
to  pick  up  the  Look  magazine  when 
Era.      You    can   never    imagine    how 

Hans  L.  Chamberlain 

of  Kanab  So.  Ward 

166 


{Concluded  from  page  156) 

that  the  mainspring  of  education  is  always 
moral.  "There  is  no  beaten  track  of  instinct 
down  which  the  child  knows  without  teach- 
ing how  to  run." 

And  just  what  is  liberal  education?  To 
read  the  book  is  to  obtain  a  satisfactory 
answer  and  at  the  same  time  a  satisfying 
experience,  for  the  study  is  presented  with 
great  clarity.  The  expression  is  beautiful, 
the  wisdom  memorable. — W.  M. 

CHILDCRAFT 

(The  Quarrie  Corporation,  Chicago. 

1942.    14  volumes.    $47.00.) 

'T'he  volumes  of  Childcraft,  well-bound 
■*■  and  beautifully  illustrated,  comprise  a 
helpful  reference  library  for  children  and 
parents,  with  eight  of  the  books  designed 
for  children  (pre-school  to  'teen-age),  and 
six  prepared  as  tools  for  parental  use.  Knot- 
ty questions  are  proposed  and  discussed  in 
the  latter  by  leading  experts  in  child  edu- 
cation and  development.  Specialists  from 
Teachers'  College,  Columbia  University, 
and  other  leading  institutions  treat  such 
questions  as  "Right  and  Wrong  Forms  of 
Affection,"  "Work  and  Play  for  the  Pre- 
School  Child,"  "Children  and  Radio,"  "Sex 
in  the  Young  Child's  Life,"  with  a  generous 
section  on  an  "Age  Scale  of  Mental  De- 
velopment." A  revealing  "Parent's  Rating 
Scale"  suggests  that  parents  test  and  rate 
themselves  once  each  month.  "There  would 
be  no  problem  children  if  there  were  no 
problem  parents." 

The  eight  books  for  children  start  with 
poems  and  stories  from  Mother  Goose, 
Aesop,  Hans  Christian  Andersen,  Robert 
Louis  Stevenson,  and  other  favorites,  with 
some  new  additions.  The  continuing  volumes 
present  rich  bits  from  Shakespeare,  Brown- 
ing, Longfellow,  even  Christopher  Morley 
and  the  moderns.  Separate  volumes  are 
devoted  to  Narrative  Poems  and  Creative 
Verse,  Tales  and  Legends,  Holidays  and 
Famous  People,  Experience  Stories,  and 
Animal  Friends.  One  likeable  feature  em- 
braces sets  of  instructions  (with  illustra- 
tions) of  things  to  make  and  do:  musical 
instruments,  gardens,  cooking  and  sewing, 
games,  parties,  the  care  of  pets.  Science 
and  Industry,  and  Music  and  Art  are  in 
oversize  books  containing  hundreds  of  pic- 
tures, with  simple  explanations  of  the  world, 
its  physical,  cultural,  and  artistic  resources. 
The  child  reader  can  learn  much  about  his 
expanding  world  here,  and  the  entire  family 
will  discover  uses  for  Childcraft.—E.  W.  D. 

WINTER  WHEAT 

(Mildred  Walker.   Harcourt,  Brace  &  Co., 

New  York.    1944.    306  pages.    $2.50.) 

Ellen  Webb,  daughter  of  a  New  England 
father  and  a  Russian  mother,  loved  the 
hard  Montana  winters  which  meant  that  in 
the  spring  the  hardy  wheat  would  grow, 
green  and  moving  like  the  ocean.  When 
she  went  away  to  college,  she  met  and  loved 
Gilbert  Borden,  who  wished  to  marry  her. 
But  when  he  saw  the  loneliness  of  the  land 
where  she  lived,  and  the  stolidity  of  the 
life  around  her,  he  felt  that  they  were  too 
far  apart  for  their  love  to  bridge  the  dis- 
tance. And  Ellen,  looking  through  his  eyes, 
began  to  wonder  if  she,  too,  hadn't  been 
wrong  in  finding  happiness  in  her  closeness 
to  the  soil.  But  after  accepting  a  teaching 
position  in  Prairie  Butte,  she  knew  that  she 
was  right  and  Gil  had  been  wrong.  That 
he,  too,  learned  he  had  been  wrong  came  in 
a  picture  which  he  sent  her. 

A  deeply  satisfying  novel  is  Winter 
Wheat,  a  novel  that  has  its  roots  set  deeply 
in  the  soil  of  the  west. — M.  C.  J. 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


News  From  The  Camps 


««««<«««-« 


«««g«t«gggggggri««g«Tggrgg«g<gfgg«ggg<g«.g^ra 


Australia 


Dear  George  and  Beulah: 

By  the  above  address  you  will  see  that  I 
have  returned  home  to  Australia.  It 
was  the  most  joyful  experience  I  can  ever 
recall.  Hours  before  we  sighted  the  Austra- 
lian coast  the  ship's  decks  were  crowded  by 
returning  soldiers  looking  for  that  first 
glimpse.  I  shall  never  forget  that  great 
thrill  which  came  over  us  all  when  dimly 
through  the  distance  we  first  saw  land  and 
home.  How  we  did  roar  and  cheer,  and 
you  could  hear  the  cheering  coming  across 
the  distance  which  separated  our  ships.  My! 
after  three  and  one-half  years  of  roaming 
about  the  battlefields,  living  like  nothing  on 
earth,  it  was  really  good  to  be  home  again. 
As  we  neared  land  I  couldn't  help  getting  a 
lump  in  my  throat.  I  think  almost  every 
hard-bitten  soldier  felt  the  same  as  I  did, 
especially  as  we  realized  that  we  were  the 
lucky  ones  to  return.  There  were  many  of 
our  fine  boys  who  stayed  behind  forever. 
It  seemed  that  my  division  was  fated  for 
dreadful  conditions  and  the  tough  fighting 
right  from  the  start.  The  long  siege  of 
Tobruk  was  just  a  beginner  compared  to  the 
four  and  one-half  months  of  Alamein.  We 
stopped  the  Germans  there  and  held  them 
while  the  Eighth  Army  re-formed.  Then  we 
started  the  battle  there  and  started  the 
Eighth  Army  on  its  way  for  its  victorious 
battle  and  capture  of  North  Africa.  For 
twelve  days  and  thirteen  nights  my  division 
fought  the  Germans  until  they  broke  and  ran. 
They  were  beaten  then,  and  if  the  Allies 
had  only  been  able  to  cut  them  off,  Tunisia 
and  subsequent  battles  would  have  never 
had  to  be  fought,  in  that  part  of  the  world. 
Unfortunately  we  were  unable  to  follow  up 
as  we  were  badly  reduced.  We  left  such 
a  lot  of  fine  chaps  there — they  fought  and 
died  as  no  other  soldiers  ever  before. 

Our  general — a  veteran  of  Gallipoli  and 
France — stated  that  the  A.I.F.  (Australian 
Imperial  Forces)  never  fought  so  well.  I 
have  never  seen  or  realized  anything  could 
be  so  horrible.  For  weeks  before  the  whole 
thing  started,  we  were  taught  to  kill.  The 
doctrine  was  taught  and  preached:  "We 
had  been  born  for  this  day — the  whole  of 
civilization  relied  upon  our  killing — this  was 
to  be  the  great  turning  of  the  tide — we  had 
to  exterminate  the  cancerous  enemy — every 
man  was  to  kill,  yes,  even  Padres  who  had 
to  kill,  too,  on  Sunday."  At  9:40  p.m.  on  the 
night  it  started,  everything  was  still  and 
quiet,  everybody  was  ready  and  tense.  On 
the  split  second  800  guns  opened  fire  and 
each  man  let  out  simultaneously  a  yell — it 
had  started.  What  followed  is  better  unsaid 
— it  now  seems  a  rotten  nightmare.  When 
all  was  quiet,  when  the  fighting  had  moved 
on,  the  whole  area  was  just  one  of  shambles 
with  thousands  of  dead  soldiers  lying  every- 
where. I  passed  into  an  area  where  it  had 
been  the  worst — "Thompson's  Post."  The 
Germans  had  wrapped  themselves  in  blan- 
kets and  pulled  jerseys  over  their  heads  to 
try  and  stop  the  blast  of  our  guns.  They 
were  blue  with  the  concussion.  Enough  of 
this.  ...  It  is  hard  to  realize  how  soon  hu- 
manity turns  savage.  Twice  in  our  lives  we 
had  this  particular  experience.  .  .  . 


<A^f*j!m&!^i*Pv>A 


I  arrived  home  in  Melbourne  just  at  sun- 
down and  Hilda  (wife)  just  completely 
broke  down  and  cried  and  cried.  She  has 
been  and  still  is  a  wonderful  girl  and  wife 
and  has  done  a  splendid  job  of  rearing  our 
two  boys.  I  had  twenty-one  days'  leave — 
such  wonderful  days  to  be  home  after  so 
many  years  away.  I  cannot  describe  the 
happiness  of  those  days  with  my  loved  ones. 
I  had  the  pleasure  of  baptizing  Eric  (son) 
while  there. 

Now  I  am  heading  north  and  will  be 
soon  helping  to  wipe  out  the  Japs.  And  so 
it  goes  on  and  on.  I  suppose  you  have  heard 
that  I  received  promotion  to  Lieut.-Colonel 
and  was  decorated  with  the  Order  of  the 
British  Empire.  It  does  not  feel  any  different 
being  an  O.B.E.  but  it  certainly  means  a  lot 
of  added  responsibility  being  the  command- 
ing officer  of  Australia's  largest  single  unit. 
I  am  keeping  well  and  very  fit  and  have  re- 
gained all  the  weight  I  lost  in  the  Libyan 
desert. 

Please  convey  my  very  best  wishes  to 
all  I  know. 

Lt.-Col.  Horace  Henry  Woodford 


Dear  Brethren: 

TThe  habit  of  promoting  our  faith  is  the 
■*■  most  characteristic  thing  about  us — this 
desire  to  acquaint  people  with  what  we  be- 
lieve has,  I  think  led  to  sometimes  rash 
measures  by  some  unwary  Saints.  Partic- 
ularly have  I  detected  this  in  many  of  us 
in  the  armed  services.  Young  men  of  the 
church,  often  in  their  fervor  have  even 
adopted  a  "holier  than  thou"  attitude,  ex- 
pressing distaste  for  particular  habits  and 
beliefs  of  others — I  think  smugness  is  a  good 
word.  During  my  present  tour  of  duty  I 
have  made  the  acquaintance  of  many  Chris- 
tian chaplains.  They  all  have  expressed 
admiration  for  Mormon  boys  but  fail  to 
understand  why  they  all  refuse  to  attend 
and  take  part  in  the  regular  church  service. 
I  said  all  of  them  refuse  to  take  part,  but  I 
should  have  said,  that  a  major  faction  of 
them  are  disinterested.  I  know  from  talking 
to  many  young  men  that  they  have  actually 
been  told  not  to  attend  services  other  than 
our  own.  This  is  folly.  We  all  prefer  our 
own  but  to  refuse  the  services  offered  in  the 
absence  of  a  Mormon  assembly  is,  I  think, 
very  unwise.  Aside  from  depriving  our- 
selves of  the  good  we  might  receive  we  are 
creating  a  definite  distaste  in  the  minds  of 
some  well-meaning,  hard-working  chap- 
lain. 

In  the  various  camps  here  and  abroad 
there  are  thousands  of  young  L.D.S.  men 
without  Mormon  services,  and  I  think  they 
should  be  encouraged  to  attend  and  actively 
assist  the  chaplain  corps.  Much  good  can 
be  accomplished,  I'm  sure. 

To  better  illustrate  what  I  am  saying,  I 
might  relate  the  following:  I  was  stationed 
at  Fort  Riley,  Kansas.  The  head  chaplain 
one  day,  who,  by  the  way,  was  a  good  friend 
of  mine,  asked  if  we  couldn't  arrange  a 
Mormon  meeting  because  the  boys  refused 
to  hear  him.  He  was  quite  concerned  over 
us  and  offered  us  ample  opportunity  for  a 
meeting,  which  we  held,  but  he  feels  we 
are  quite  narrow.  Wherever  possible,  we 
should  attend  meetings.  We  should  be  the 
most  open-minded  people  on  earth.  There 
is  nothing  we  fear  to  uncover. 

Sincerely, 

Lt.  Milton  C.  Abrams, 
2nd  Lt.  Cav. 


^ 


v 


^        Born 

in  Utah 

—  Now 

A  Man-Sized 

Industry! 


You  Can  Be 
Proucl  of  Utah's 
Fastest-Growing 
Home-Owned 
Product 


■  T  WAS  onI>  16  years  ago  that 

■  Morning  Milk's  modern  plant 
at  Wellsville,  Utah,  began  opera- 
tion. Because  of  your  loyalty  to 
this  Utah-owned  product  you  soon 
made  ■  it  an  important  industry. 
Then  you  discovered  that  Morning 
Milk  had  a  finer-flavor  than  any 
other  evaporated  milk  on  the  mar- 
ket —  and  today  you've  made  it 
the  biggest  selling  evaporated  milk 
in  the  Intermountain  West. 

So  to  you  we  say 
sincerely  — 
UT 


Your  OWN 


MORNING  MILK 


Vi/herever  cJaey  C^o . . . 

Portland,  Oregon 

It  seems  when  I  was  home,  I  had  the 
Era  in  my  possession,  yes,  but  I  didn't 
take  advantage  of  it.  Now,  since  I've 
been  away  I  have  come  to  realize  just 
how  much  my  church  and  this  magazine, 
the  ERA,  means  to  me. 

I  especially  like  to  read  the  ward 
teachers'  lesson  for  the  month — it  seems 
there  is  such  a  great  deal  of  truth  and 
wisdom  in  such  a  few  words,  and  well, 
maybe  it's  because  Dad  is  a  ward 
teacher  and  told  me  to  read  it,  but  really 
I  do  enjoy  every  bit  of  the  ERA. 

Idabelle  Clark, 

Student  Nurse 


MARCH,  1944 


\67 


MelcMzedek  Priesthood 

CONDUCTED  BY  THE  MELCHIZEDEK  PRIESTHOOD  COMMITTEE  OF  THE  COUNCIL  OF  THE  TWELVE 

JOSEPH  FIELDING  SMITH,  CHAIRMAN 


(pszA&tmaL  UJ&IpWL 

Be  Men  of  Action 

In  each  issue  of  the  Eta  from  January 
1943,  to  February  1944,  inclusive,  a 
suggestion  was  made  in  this  column 
upon  which  a  project  might  have  been 
developed  by  the  personal  welfare  com- 
mittee. These  suggestions  have  been 
made  with  the  hope  that  specific  ac- 
tivities would  be  undertaken  by  the 
personal  welfare  committee  of  each 
Melchizedek  priesthood  quorum. 

The  great  need  today  is  for  definite 
action.  If  members  of  the  Melchizedek 
priesthood  quorums  could  be  saved  by 
generalities,  no  doubt  they  would  long 
since  have  obtained  their  exaltation.  In 
too  many  instances,  quorum  officers  and 
committee  members  are  satisfied  with 
an  occasional  discussion  of  what  ought 
to  be  done,  without  doing  it. 

The  great  need  today  in  the  quorums 
of  the  priesthood  is  for  men  of  action, 
leaders  who  determine  upon  and  do 
specific  things.  As  early  as  1831,  in  a 
revelation  through  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith,  the  Lord  said: 

...  it  is  not  meet  that  I  should  command 
in  all  things;  for  he  that  is  compelled  in  all 
things,  the  same  is  a  slothful  and  not  a  wise 
servant;  wherefore  he  receiveth  no  reward. 

Verily  I  say,  men  should  be  anxiously 
engaged  in  a  good  cause,  and  do  many 
things  of  their  own  free  will,  and  bring  to 
pass  much  righteousness; 

For  the  power  is  in  them,  wherein  they 
are  agents  unto  themselves.  And  inasmuch 
as  men  do  good  they  shall  in  nowise  lose 
their  reward. 

But  he  that  doeth  not  anything  until  he 
is  commanded,  and  receiveth  a  command- 
ment with  doubtful  heart,  and  keepeth  it 
with  slothfulness,  the  same  is  damned.  (D. 
&  C.  58:26-29.) 

QIoaa.  QndJtmdwfL 

Avoid  Controversial  Subjects 

There  is  a  tendency  among  members 
of  the  church  to  bring  up  questions 
in  classes  that  are  of  a  highly  controver- 
sial nature,  and  sometimes  this  leads  to 
heated  discussions  that  accomplish 
nothing  and  sometimes  foster  ill-will.  It 
should  be  kept  in  mind  by  all  class  lead- 
ers that  the  four  standard  works  of  the 
church  are  the  basis  of  our  theology, 
and  when  we  go  beyond  these  we  are 
in  the  realm  of  speculation  and  personal 
interpretation.  This  fact  should  be  kept 
in  mind  in  all  of  our  class  work.  In 
the  monthly  leadership  meeting  the 
chairman  of  the  class  instruction  com- 
mittee of  the  stake  may  very  wisely  and 
profitably  offer  a  word  of  caution  on 
this  point  and  recommend  that  emphasis 

168 


REPORT  OF  PROGRESS 

TEMPLE  PRIESTHOOD 
PROJECT 

Check  the  methods  being  utilized  in 
your  stake: 

1.  Priesthood  quorums  have 
pledged  themselves  to  do  a 
specific  number  of  names — (     ) 

2.  Wards  or  stakes  remote 
from  temples  are  sending 
one  or  more  worthy  breth- 
ren to  a  temple  and  paying 
their  expenses  while  they  do 
the  quota  for  their  ward  or 
stake  (     ) 

3.  Stake  and  ward  leaders  are 
going  with  the  priesthood 
members  to  the  temple  in 
personal  attendance  at  reg- 
ular intervals (      ) 

4.  Priesthood  quorums  have 
sent  funds  to  the  temple  ask- 
ing that  proxies  be  secured 
to  do  their  share  of  the 
work _ (     ) 

5.  Church  service  committees 
of  the  quorums  are  work- 
ing in  close  cooperation 
with  ward  and  stake  genea- 
logical committees (     ) 

6.  The  stake  presidency,  the 
stake  Melchizedek  priest- 
hood committee  and  the 
stake  genealogical  commit- 
tee meet  once  a  month  to 
work  out  details (      ) 

7.  Church  service  committee 
members  are  visiting  quo- 
rum members  at  their  homes  (     ) 

8.  Each  quorum  member  is 
made  responsible  for  the  en- 
dowment of  so  many  males..  (      ) 

9.  A  copy  of  the  letter  from 
the  first  presidency  sent 
each  person  holding  the 
Melchizedek  priesthood (      ) 

10.  The  Melchizedek  priesthood 
committee  meets  with  all 
church  service  committees 
and  formulates  plans  to  be 
put  in  operation  .— (      ) 

1 1 .  Where  transportation  facil- 
ities are  available  regular 
stake  and  priesthood  excur- 
sions are  being  arranged....  (      ) 

12.  High  priests  and  others  of 
advanced  years  are  going  to 
temples  to  remain  there  for 
some  months  doing  temple 
work   — - (      ) 

What  other  devices  are  being  car- 
ried out  in  your  stake? 


be  placed  on  the  fact  that  there  is  a 
difference  between  definitely  revealed 
truths  and  opinions  and  theories. 


Manpower  for  Church  Service 

'T'he  church  offers  a  vast  program  and 
•*■  a  wide  field  for  activity  of  its  mem- 
bers. It  gives  opportunity  for  growth 
and  development  and  supplies  ways  and 
means  by  which  interest  and  faith  can 
be  created  in  the  hearts  of  those  who 
are  willing  to  labor.  The  stake,  the 
ward,  the  quorum,  the  auxiliary  or- 
ganization, the  mission  field,  the  temple 
— all  provide  motives  for  church  serv- 
ice. Each  one  is  a  field  for  work  and 
activity. 

"The  harvest  is  great  and  the  labor- 
ers are  few,"  applies  to  those  who  are 
engaged  in  the  program  provided  for 
man's  salvation.  To  bring  into  activity 
quorum  members  and  to  encourage  them 
to  participate  in  this  program  are  duties 
devolving  upon  the  church  service  com- 
mittee. 

The  church  functions  through  the 
priesthood  and  relies  upon  the  quorums 
to  furnish  the  laborers  required  to  car- 
ry forward  the  Lord's  work.  It  is 
urged,  therefore,  that  this  committee 
keep  in  touch  with  all  members  through 
surveys,  analysis,  and  investigations  to 
determine  their  fitness  and  availability 
for  service. 

The  dislocation  among  the  church 
membership  due  to  the  war  and  its  de- 
mands upon  the  people  calls  for  in- 
creased activity  and  a  high  type  of  de- 
votion. Regular  meetings  of  the  com- 
mittee and  periodical  reports  to  the 
quorum  presidency  will  do  much  to  get 
the  desired  results. 

Soojcd^&TlUdXjdlcuvwjuA, 

New  Finds  in  Old  Ideas 

A  review  of  the  topics  presented  in 
•*"*  this  column  during  the  past  year 
will  remind  us  of  a  number  of  things 
that  may  be  put  to  use  again  with  good 
effect.  It  is  an  old  and  true  adage  that 
we  do  not  need  to  be  taught  so  much 
as  to  be  reminded.  In  reviewing  the 
year's  suggestions  members  of  the  so- 
cial and  miscellaneous  committee  might 
ask  themselves  how  many  ideas  they 
actually  tried,  and  what  ideas  they  will 
resolve  now  to  follow  through :  the  an- 
nual social,  acquisition  and  use  of  quo- 
rum funds,  welfare  gardens,  the  social 
value  of  projects,  sociability  hints  for 
recreation,  setting  the  date,  the  square 
dance,  a  comprehensive  program,  crea- 
tive forces,  recreation  in  the  home,  and 
recreation  literature.  All  these  sugges- 
tions have  received  attention  in  this 
column  since  January  1943.  Put  them 
to  work! 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


Concerning  Priesthood 

Attendance  At  Quarterly 

Conference 

Attention  of  the  brethren  has 
**'  been  called  to  the  fact  that  the 
authorities  in  many  of  the  stakes 
are  confused  in  relation  to  the 
matter  of  attendance  at  the  priest- 
hood sessions  of  the  quarterly 
conferences  in  the  stakes  of  Zion. 
The  program  for  stake  quarterly 
conferences  for  1944  reads  as  fol- 
lows, on  this  point: 

A  full  attendance  of  all  stake  priest- 
hood officers,  stake  priesthood  com- 
mittees, quorum  and  ward  officers,  at 
the  stake  priesthood  meeting  should 
be  especially  urged.  All  priesthood 
members  may  attend  if  they  desire. 

The  request  is  now  made  by  the 
general  authorities  of  the  church 
that  all  the  brethren  holding  the 
priesthood  should  be  requested  to 
be  in  attendance  at  these  priest- 
hood meetings,  whether  it  is  des- 
ignated as  a  Melchizedek  priest- 
hood conference,  an  Aaronic 
priesthood  conference,  or  a  mis- 
sionary conference.  If  this  proce- 
dure is  followed  there  can  be  no 
confusion  and  all  of  the  brethren 
should  be  vitally  interested  in 
these  meetings  no  matter  how  they 
may  be  designated. 


Melchizedek  Priesthood  Outline  of  Study,  May,  1944 

Text:    The  Gospel  Kingdom:  Selections  from  the 
Writings  and  Discourses  o/  John  Taylor 


NO-LIQUOR-TOBACCO 
COLUMN 

Conducted  by 
Dr.  Joseph  F.  Merrill 


Billboard  Messages 

TThis  year,  as  during  the  winters  of  re- 
■*■  cent  years,  scores  of  large  billboards 
along  Utah  highways  carry  authorita- 
tive temperance  messages.  The  space 
on  these  boards  is  graciously  donated 
to  this  purpose  by  the  companies  that 
own  them. 


LESSON  17 

The  Nature  and  Mind  of  Man 

Text:  pp.  53-58.  Topics:  The  Origin  of 
Man.  A  God  in  Embryo.  Some  Points  of 
View.  Men  in  Society.  Man  as  an  Eternal 
Being.  Man's  Purpose  and  Destiny.  Man, 
A  Son  of  God.  The  Mind  of  Man.  Brigham 
Young's  Mind.  The  Mind's  Storehouse. 
Understanding.  The  Image  of  God. 

Suggestion:  Discuss  the  salient  thoughts 
suggested  by  the  above  topical  outline, 
bringing  out  President  Taylor's  teachings. 
Then  tackle  these  two  broad  problems: 
What  is  the  nature  of  man?  What  is  the 
explanation  for  the  remarkable  activity  and 
the  phenomenen  associated  with  the  mind  of 
man?    (See  "Understanding,"  p.  56.) 

LESSON  18 

Man  as  Man 

Text:  pp.  56-59.  Topics:  The  Oppor- 
tunities and  Possibilities.  Christ's  Service 
Places  Godhood  Within  Man's  Reach.  The 
Problem  and  the  Outlook.  On  Becoming 
Like  God. 

Discuss:  What  powers  are  possessed  by 
man?  Explore  fully.  Why  is  the  probation- 
ary state  referred  to  as  a  "state  of  trial"? 
Speaking  of  wheat  (p.  59) ,  how  many  quo- 
rums have  seen  to  the  fulfilment  of  the  stor- 
age problem  and  project  advanced  in  the 
autumn  of  1943?  Does  this  suggest  anything 
further  for  the  topic,  "On  Becoming  Like 
God"? 


LESSON  19 

Free  Will 

Text:  pp.  59-61.  Topics:  An  Eternal 
Principle.  No  Coercion  in  the  Gospel  Plan. 
The  Freedom  of  Faith.  A  Man's  Faith  Can 
Not  Be  Controlled. 

Discuss:  Can  you  have  free  will  without 
law  and  without  authority?  We  usually  in- 
terpret "free  will"  as  the  basic  stuff  of 
liberty,  freedom,  free  agency,  and,  many 
claim  that  liberty  and  law  (or  authority) 
are  in  complete  opposition  to  each  other. 
Why  cannot  a  man's  faith  be  controlled, 
except  by  that  person? 

LESSON  20 

Human  Enjoyment  and  Human 

Brotherhood 

Text:  pp.  61-64.  Topics:  Association 
of  the  Sexes.  Nurture,  Do  Not  Pervert,  the 
Emotions.  Music  and  the  Theater.  Social 
Standards.  The  Nature  of  Human  Nature. 
All  Are  God's  Children.   A  Mormon  Ethic. 

Discuss:  From  the  foregoing  lesson  on 
man,  what  can  you  say  to  the  question: 
When  are  the  emotions  nurtured  and  when 
are  they  perverted?  Assemble  the  controlling 
principles  that  underlie  this  problem.  How 
can  "separation"  in  society  be  avoided  lead- 
ing to  "something  like  an  aristocracy"? 
( pp.  62-63. )  How  avoid  it  in  your  quorum? 
ward?  community?  Apply  the  teachings  un- 
der the  chapter  subhead,  "The  Brotherhood 
of  the  Human  Race,"  to  this  problem  and 
current  world  problems. 


This  season  these  messages,  repeated 
on  many  boards,  are  as  follows: 

"Drink  brings  cruelty  into  the  home — it 
curses  all  who  touch  it." — First  Presidency 

"Alcohol  burns  up  men,  destroys  life, 
curses  God."— Robert  G.  Ingersoll 

"Should  not  the  law  make  drunken  driving 
a  crime?" — L.D.S.  Committee 

"Eliminate  absenteeism  by  eliminating  al- 
coholic drink." — L.D.S.  Committee 

"I  insist  that  my  boys  do  not  drink — not 
even  beer."— Fritz  Chrysler,  famous  Michi- 
gan coach 

"Liquor  and  tobacco  are  not  good  for 
man." — Doctrine  and  Covenants 


MELBA  WARD,  NAM  PA  STAKE,  WELFARE  BEET  HARVEST 
The  priesthood  is  shown  here,  but  the  Relief  Society  worked  behind  the  scenes,  serving  hot  chili 
and  pie. — Reported  by  E.  L  Wood. 


MARCH,  1944 


Letters  to  Stake  Chairmen 

Letters  were  recently  mailed  to  all 
chairmen  restating  the  duties  of  stake 
No-Liquor-Tobacco  committees.  These 
letters  were  accompanied  by  a  sample 
of  all  the  pieces  of  literature  that  we 
have  sent  to  the  field  during  recent 
years.  We  offered  to  send  gratis,  on 
request  by  chairmen,  as  many  copies  as 
needed  of  those  we  published.  (Sev- 
eral booklets  purchased  from  publish- 
ers elsewhere  were  also  sent  as  sam- 
ples.) 

Our  campaign  is  now  more  or  less 
stabilized  along  lines  indicated  by  the 
first  presidency  in  the  beginning.  Our 
efforts  are  essentially  educational  and 
directed  to  our  own  people — those  who 
accept  the  Word  of  Wisdom  as  divine. 
But  we  are  glad  to  accept  aid  from  other 
helpful  sources,  which  we  have  done. 

But,  that  education  may  succeed  best, 
a  favorable  environment  is  necessary. 
So,  we  advocate  the  observance  and  en- 
forcement of  all  civil  laws  relative  to 
liquor,  tobacco  and  morals,  especially 
those  concerning  minors  and  youth.  To 
this  end,  committees  in  some  counties  in 
Utah  and  Idaho  have  been  organized 
to  back  up  civil  officers  in  their  efforts 
to  enforce  the  laws  mentioned.  As  a 
rule  these  committees  are  closely  asso- 
ciated with  our  stake  No-Liquor-To- 
bacco committees. 

Each  of  the  general  boards  of  church 
auxiliaries  has  formulated  a  yearly  re- 
curring program  designed  to  instruct, 
train   and  motivate  their  members  to 
(Continued  on  page  176) 
169 


Aaronic  Priesthood 


t!v&&4&4-A>i&  W*WX"K>vv%4TA"^'**vvf  ■%•%  "Cif  ;^C^^<^ 


CONDUCTED    UNDER   THE   SUPERVISION    OF   THE   PRESIDING   BISHOPRIC.     EDITED    BY   LEE   A.    PALMER. 


WARD  BOY  LEADERSHIP 

COMMITTEE  OUTLINE  OF  STUDY 

APRIL,  1944 

Text:  HOW  TO  WIN  BOYS 
Chapter  XVI :  Things  to  Sidestep 

Quotations  from  the  Text: 

1.  Side  step  embarrassments. 

No  matter  what  his  appearance  or 
manner,  every  boy  is  biologically  sensi- 
tive. He  may  manufacture  a  crust 
about  himself  that  would  be  the  envy 
of  any  oyster  or  turtle.  But  his  snarls, 
oaths,  sneers,  or  jeers  do  not  fool  the 
real  student  of  boy  life.  I  have  yet  to 
locate  one  place  or  time  for  a  justified 
embarrassment. 

Don't  thrust  a  boy  more  deeply  into 
his  shell  because  he  is  publicly  made 
to  feel  cheap. 

And  many  things  embarrass  a  boy 
that  do  not  embarrass  an  adult. 

2.  Boys  do  like  stories  of  personal  strug- 
gle, but  you  and  I  had  best  not  be  the 
hero  in  the  tale  we  tell.  And  fortunate- 
ly there  are  many  who  have  made  any 
personal  conflict  and  victory  seem 
child's  play. 

3.  A  well-meant  warning  is  listed  against 
inconsistency.  .  .  .  Your  case  must  be 
well-made.  .  .  .  I'll  never  ask  him  or 
any  boy  to  do  something  I  will  not  do 
nor  make  any  sacrifice  that  I  will  not 
make. 

4.  Some  time  ago,  as  a  guest  of  a  huge 
Bible  class,  I  addressed  a  crowded 
auditorium.  I  met  a  fascinating  man. 
He  later  made  an  announcement  which 
nobody  took  seriously.  He  pleaded  for 
a  week  of  prayer  services — but  his 
words,  it  appeared,  lacked  weight.  I 
questioned  concerning  this  later  and 
was  told  that  this  some  church  official, 
though  never  drunk,  had  come  to  a 
church  party  with  liquor  on  his  breath 
and  just  a  little  too  happy.  And  his 
influence  was  gone. 

Grown-up  people  demand  consist- 
ency. But  not  a  fraction  as  strongly 
as  youth  demands  it!  A  girl  can  not 
come    in    from    all-night    dances    and 


take  dangerous  chances  with  her 
purity  of  name  and  imagine  that  the 
boys  in  her  Sunday  School  do  not 
know  it.  They  always  know  it! 
Once  I  knew  of  a  very  wise  teacher. 
She  was  a  mature  woman  who  had 
never  had  a  son  and  had  always 
wanted  one.  At  the  death  of  her  hus- 
band she  threw  her  entire  energy  and 
thought  into  a  class  of  boys  she  was 
teaching.  And  she  built  that  class  to 
a  fine  regular  attendance.  One  day 
she  told  me  her  story. 

She  said  that  the  class  was  made  up 
of  boys  from  cultured  and  in  most 
cases  wealthy  and  even  very  wealthy 
homes.  These  boys  had  many  bad 
habits.  Their  mothers  were  away  at 
social  evenings,  bridge  clubs  and  so  on. 
The  fathers  were  tied  up  in  big  busi- 
ness deals  and  were  occupied  at  that 
and  gave  no  time  to  their  sons.  The 
boys  drifted  into  many  evils  and  into 
personal  habits  known  to  this  keen 
and  wonderful  teacher. 

So  she  made  a  deal  with  them! 

Her  agreement  was  this:  That  they 
were  to  come  to  her  personally  and 
complain  of  any  habit  or  method  or 
anything  else  in  her  life  that  they 
thought  shady  or  unbecoming  a  Chris- 
tian. In  return  she  could  go  to  them 
and  correct  any  habit  they  had. 

Well,  she  often  played  the  game  of 
solitaire  which  she  thought  innocent 
enough.  There  was  no  gambling.  There 
was  merely  herself  and  her  pack  of 
cards  and  the  chance  to  quiet  her 
nerves  or  occupy  a  lonely  evening. 
But  the  boy  who  gambled  with  cards 
said  he  thought  she  was  inconsistent  in 
going  after  him.  So  she  gave  up  her 
solitaire — and  he  quit  his  gambling 
with  cards.  She  had  to  give  up  the 
movies,  too.  She  was  campaigning 
against  the  vicious  sex  stuff  that  is  so 
often  screened.  A  boy  asked  to  call 
on  her  and  told  her  he'd  seen  her  at- 
tending the  photoplay,  Oliver  Twist. 
To  him  this  seemed  inconsistent.  So 
he  gave  his  word  to  cut  out  cheap 
movies  and  she  dropped  all  of  them — 
and  with  a  smile  on  her  face. 


yjoudfc  and,  JHhinq^ 


KENT 
CHRISTENSEN 


T/'ent  is  a  deacon  now  living  in  Cali- 
■^  fornia.  He  was  formerly  a  member 
of  the  Provo  Eighth  Ward,  Provo 
Stake. 

After  working  during  the  summer  he 
received  his  salary  check.  His  first  ob- 
ligation was  to  the  Lord.  He  discharged 
it  by  sending  his  bishop  one  tenth  of 
his  income. 

Kent's  attitude  is  typical  of  thousands 
of  Aaronic  priesthood  members 
throughout  the  church  who  take  the  law 
of  tithing  seriously. 

Many  bishops  report  that  100  percent 
of  the  Aaronic  priesthood  membership 
of  their  wards  are  on  the  tithing  records 
of  the  church. 


The  end  of  the  story  is  best.  She 
stopped  boys  from  their  first  drinking 
which  had  been  learned  right  in  their 
own  homes.  She  stopped  others  from 
other  evils.  She  ended  all  profanity  in 
{Concluded  on  page  171 ) 


Maricopa  Stake  celebrates 
Aaronic  priesthood  achieve- 
ments in  gala  style.  The 
spacious  Mesona  Hall  at 
Mesa,  Arizona,  was  full  of 
boys  and  good  things  to  eat. 

The  stake  presidency, 
bishoprics,  and  Aaronic 
priesthood  leaders  shared  the 
joys  of  this  pleasant  ex- 
perience. 


170 


THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


Teaching 


CONDUCTED    UNDER   THE   SUPERVISION    OF   THE   PRESIDING   BISHOPRIC.     EDITED   BY   LEE  A.    PALMER. 


9%,  WcvuL 

By  Bishop  Harry  W.  Madsen, 
LeGrand  Ward.  Park  Stake 

1.  The  first  thing  I  must  understand 
is  that  being  called  to  act  as  a  ward 
teacher  is  not  just  one  of  appointment 
alone  but  there  goes  with  it  a  very  def- 
inite responsibility  for  the  people  in  my 
charge. 

2.  I  am  the  "watchman"  of  my  dis- 
trict, whose  business  it  is  to  see  that  all 
is  well  in  that  district.  The  way  to  per- 
fection on  my  beat  is  to  learn  to  inter- 
pret life  in  terms  of  others.  Their  sor- 
rows are  my  sorrows;  and  their  joys  my 
joys. 

3.  My  visits  are  not  just  to  get  a  job 
done,  stereotyped  and  lifeless,  but  my 
calling  is  to  reach  the  hearts  of  all  the 
people.  To  do  so  I  must  be  kind,  sincere, 
and  sympathetic.  Kindness  is  a  language 
that  gives  new  sight  to  the  blind,  and 
even  the  deaf  can  hear  and  understand. 

4.  I  have  not  done  my  best  until  I 
know  not  only  the  parents,  but  all  the 
children  in  the  home,  and  by  tactful  ap- 
proach made  fellowship  with  them. 

5.  I  am  the  special  emissary  of  the 
bishop  with  the  assignment  to  encour- 
age my  members  to  attend  church.  I 
am  pleased  to  tell  them  of  the  good 
things  we  have  in  the  ward. 

If  I  do  my  job  well  they  will  want 
to  be  where  so  many  others  are — not 
from  a  sense  of  duty,  but  from  the 
pleasure  of  worship  in  a  lovely  place 
with  lovely  people. 

6.  I  will  acquaint  myself  with  the  ac- 
tivities of  all  the  organizations  in  the 
ward  so  I  can  speak  intelligently  about 
them.  In  this  way  I  may  replace  indif- 
ference with  interest  and  add  members 
to  these  organizations. 

7.  We  are  all  pretty  "common  clay," 
the  knowledge  of  which  keeps  us  hum- 
ble. But  I  know  when  I  am  confronted 
with  the  thought,  "I  am  not  worthy  to 
do  this  work,"  it  is  the  evil  one  trying  to 
spoil  my  usefulness  in  the  church.  To 
such  I  will  not  surrender  but  will  ear- 
nestly strive  to  improve  my  mode  of 
life,  the  better  to  qualify  for  the  work. 

8.  My  assignment  to  visit  the  people 
is  not  one  of  convenience  and  circum- 
stance. It  is  a  high  commission  linking 
me  with  the  leadership  of  the  ward.  And 
so  it  is  my  responsibility  to  keep  my 
group  alive  and  happy.  In  doing  this  I 
will  keep  alive  and  happy  myself. 

9.  "Any  old  time"  for  teaching  is  a 
weak  approach  to  a  great  responsibility 
and  does  me  no  credit,  so  I  will  be  up 
and  doing.  My  visits  will  be  early  in 
the  month  in  the  spirit  of  my  calling, 

MARCH,  1944 


WARD  TEACHERS 

The  teacher's  duty  is  to  watch  over  the  church  always,  and  be  with  and 
strengthen  them; 

And  see  that  there  is  no  iniquity  in  the  church,  neither  hardness  with 
each  other,  neither  lying,  backbiting,  nor  evil  speaking; 

And  see  that  the  church  meet  together  often,  and  also  see  that  all  the 
members  do  their  duty.    (D.  &  C.  20:53-55.) 

Ward  Ueachen'  fv/eteaae  for  ^Mprii,   1944 

"AM  I  MY  BROTHER'S  KEEPER?" 

/^ain,  in  a  jealous  rage,  slew  his  brother,  Abel.  When  the  Lord  asked 
^**  "Where  is  Abel  thy  brother?"  Cain  impudently  snapped,  "Am  I  my 
brother's  keeper?" 

The  Lord  might  well  have  thought,  "No,  Cain,  you  are  not,  nor  have 
you  been,  your  brother's  keeper.  If  you  had  been,  you  would  not  have 
sought  his  destruction.  You  would  not  have  offended  me  by  mistreating  one 
of  my  sons.  You  would  have  realized  that  I  am  his  Father  as  well  as  yours. 
You  would  have  treated  him  with  kindness,  love,  courtesy,  ever  looking  for 
opportunities  to  help  him  in  the  way  of  life.  You  would  never  have  raised 
your  voice  against  him  to  belittle  or  discourage  him.  No,  Cain,  while  I 
should  like  to  have  seen  you  be  your  brother's  keeper,  you  have  failed  me." 

What  actions  set  one  apart  as  being  his  brother's  keeper? 

In  a  dramatic  description  of  the  last  judgment  Jesus  declared: 

Then  shall  the  King  say  unto  them  on  his  right  hand,  Come,  ye  blessed  of  my 
Father,  inherit  the  kingdom  prepared  for  you  from  the  foundation  of  the  world: 

For  I  was  an  hungered,  and  ye  gave  me  meat:  I  was  thirsty,  and  ye  gave  me 
drink:    I  was  a  stranger,  and  ye  took  me  in: 

Naked,  and  ye  clothed  me:  I  was  sick,  and  ye  visited  me:  I  was  in  prison,  and 
ye  came  unto  me.    (Matt.  25:34-37.) 

In  Jesus'  description,  the  people  did  not  remember  their  having  per- 
formed so  many  lovely  services  for  their  king.  They  had  no  memory  of  their 
having  been  so  kind,  so  thoughtful,  so  willing  to  help  him  in  his  distress. 
Though  they  were  extremely  happy  in  the  thought,  they  could  recall  no 
such  experiences.  The  very  idea  '■hat  they  had  so  behaved  toward  him  was 
exciting  and  satisfying  to  say  the  least. 

They  were  sobered,  however,  when  their  "King"  informed  them  that 
"Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these  my  brethren, 
ye  have  done  it  unto  me."  They  had  not  suspected  that  being  their  brother's 
keeper  was  a  direct  service  to  their  king. 

Are  we,  today,  as  members  of  the  church,  permitting  this  great  prin- 
ciple to  govern  our  actions  toward  our  fellow  men?  Are  we  aware  of  the 
fact  that  service  to  God  and  service  to  man  are  one  and  the  same?  Knowing 
this,  would  we  be  happy  to  treat  the  Lord  as  we  are  treating  each  other? 
Happy  or  not,  this  is  just  what  we  are  doing.  Is  he  pleased  or  offended  by 
our  actions  toward  one  another?  Let  each  one  answer  for  himself. 


that  my  companion  will  be  proud  to  go 
with  me. 

10.  I  do  not  want  the  disinterest  of 
any  family  in  my  ward  laid  at  my  door. 
As  a  teacher  I  have  a  moral  responsibil- 
ity and  will  do  my  best  to  make  good. 

Upon  these  ten  resolutions  hang  all 
the  possibilities  and  blessings  of  my 
calling. 


WARD  BOY  LEADERSHIP 
COMMITTEE  OUTLINE  OF  STUDY 

( Concluded  from  page  1 70) 

that  class.    In  short,  she  sacrificed  a 
few  pleasures  she  deemed  innocent — 


but  she  remade  a  class  into  fine  boys,  a 
number  of  whom  grew  up  into  different 
forms  of  church  leadership. 

I  guess  this  all  comes  down  to  our 
casting  out  motes  from  boys'  eyes, 
when  we  have  quite  a  little  lumber  in 
our  own! 

Helps  for  Class  Leader: 

1.  After  the  lesson  has  been  presented, 
have  the  class  members  suggest  as 
many  "Things  to  Sidestep"  as  possible. 
Write  the  suggestions  on  a  blackboard. 
Have  each  person  making  a  suggestion, 
state  his  reasons  therefor.  There  should 
be  quite  a  long  list  if  the  class  is  really 
thinking  on  this  matter. 

171 


Music 


i^i^^LK«<«g«^^rf«cc^sg{ggggg;««^gst«gg{«usxiijri&ii-gyfrfgr&^j 


f.3k 


e    WARD    MUSIC   GUILD 


Sixth  Guild  Meeting:   March 

By  Dr.  Frank  W.  Asper 

Tabernacle  Organist  and  Member, 

Church  Music  Committee 

Tempo,  or  pace,  is  common  to  all 
mankind.  Yet,  as  the  heartbeat 
varies  in  different  persons,  so  the 
degree  of  tempo  feeling  differs,  too. 
Psychologists  point  out  that  there  are 
variations  in  responsiveness  to  move- 
ment in  music  according  to  the  age,  the 
country,  the  race,  and  the  century. 

It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  the 
metronome  mark  on  some  compositions 
are  not  correct,  especially  of  the  master- 
pieces written  before  Beethoven's  time, 
for  the  reason  that  the  metronome  was 
not  then  invented,  and  they  have  been 
put  on  by  men  who  have  edited  the 
compositions.  Unfortunately,  most  of 
the  metronome  marks  in  our  own  L.D.S. 
hymnal  are  too  slow.  They  do  very 
well  in  the  tabernacle  in  Salt  Lake 
City,  where  there  is  much  reverbera- 
tion and  carrying  over  of  tone,  but  they 
should  be  faster  in  the  majority  of  our 
ward  chapels,  where  a  smaller  and  less 
ponderous  body  of  singers  tends  to  cre- 
ate a  lack  of  interest  if  they  sing  at  the 
speeds  indicated. 

Preparing  the  Choir 

Before  attempting  to  accomplish 
much  with  the  choir  by  way  of  tempo 
change,  the  leader  should  stress  more 
accurately  the  time  values  of  notes  and 
rests.  Even  among  the  best  singers, 
there  is  a  marked  degree  of  carelessness 
in  this  regard,  and  usually  this  is  due  to 
indifference  or  ignorance  on  the  part  of 
the  conductor.  The  full  value  should  be 
given  to  each  note,  except  when  it  is 
slightly  shortened  in  order  for  the  singer 
to  get  a  "catch  breath."  If  the  leader 
beats  time  accurately,  it  will  help  a  great 
deal  in  singing  such  places  the  way  they 
were  intended,  but  a  better  guarantee  is 
for  the  conductor  to  be  on  guard  dur- 
ing   rehearsal    and    observe    the    time 


values  conscientiously.  After  the  tech- 
nique of  precise  attack  and  release  is 
mastered,  more  attention  may  be  given 
to  fluctuations  in  tempo. 

A  hymn  should  be  played  through 
with  solid  organ  tone  after  it  has  been 
announced,  and  at  the  correct  speed  to 
set  the  pace  for  the  whole  congregation. 
The  entire  service  can  have  a  good  or 
bad  spirit  according  to  the  way  the  first 
hymn  is  announced. 

The  words  are,  of  course,  the  first 
consideration,  and  the  hymn  should  be 
taken  at  the  speed  at  which  they  may 
best  be  spoken  clearly  and  distinctly. 
Solemn  hymns  should  necessarily  be 
taken  slower,  and  brighter  hymns  faster. 

The  size  of  the  chapel  and  its  acous- 
tics must  also  be  considered.  In  a  larger 
building  it  will  invariably  be  found  that 
more  time  must  be  allowed  for  the  sound 
to  carry.  The  size  of  the  congregation  is 
also  a  factor.  A  large  group  is  more  dif- 
ficult to  bring  into  line  than  a  small 
one,  and  one  would  also  not  expect  so 
quick  a  response  from  older  people  as 
from  those  of  younger  age. 

The  hymns  should  always  be  played 
in  such  a  way  that  all  listeners  will  be 
eager  to  join  in  and  sing.  Singing  is  one 
of  our  most  potent  ways  of  worshiping, 
and  it  is  the  only  active  way  in  which 
most  people  can  take  part. 

Increasing  the  Participation  in 
Hymn-Singing 

A  T  the  end  of  the  announcement  of  the 
**  hymn  on  the  organ,  the  congrega- 
tion or  choir  and  organ  should  begin 
promptly  on  the  first  note,  without  hesi- 
tation. In  playing  the  hymns  with  the 
su.jers,  the  organist  should  avoid  all 
sudden  and  abrupt  changes  either  in 
tempo  or  volume.  The  first  induces 
raggedness  and  will  eventually  stop  the 
participation  of  many  people  in  the  sing- 
ing. Changes  in  volume  can  be  equally 
fatal.    If  a  member  of  the  congregation 

CENTRAL  WARD  CHOIR 


suddenly  finds  himself  singing  louder 
than  his  neighbors  or  with  but  little  sup- 
port from  the  organ,  it  is  but  a  short 
time  before  he  is  frightened  into  silence 
and  his  self-expression  through  the  sing- 
ing of  the  hymns,  is  stifled. 

Sometimes  the  congregations  take  the 
liberty  of  making  holds,  as  in  Edwards' 
"I  Know  That  My  Redeemer  Lives,"  at 
the  end  of  the  first  and  second  phrases. 
In  "How  Firm  A  Foundation,"  the  sec- 
ond verse,  beginning  "As  thy  days," 
the  first  syllable  comes  as  a  surprise  and 
is  unlike  the  other  verses.  If  this  phrase 
is  taken  in  strict  time,  most  people  will 
omit  the  first  few  syllables,  weakening 
the  sound  of  the  hymn  and  dampening 
their  enthusiasm.  But  if  a  slight  pause 
is  made,  then  going  on,  giving  each 
word  a  quarter  note,  the  leader  will  be 
assured  of  whole-hearted  singing. 

Playing  accompaniments  is  a  give- 
and-take  proposition,  and  one  must 
learn  to  give  a  little  here  and  there  so 
that  the  structure  will  not  be  weakened. 

All  hymns  should  be  phrased  on  the 
organ  in  the  same  sense  in  which  the 
accompanying  words  would  be  recited. 
After  all,  the  main  thing  in  a  hymn  is  the 
words,  the  music  is  there  to  give  the 
words  emphasis. 

It  is  especially  imperative  that  the  or- 
ganist hear  the  different  effects  and  the 
various  volumes  of  tone  on  the  organ 
from  the  rear  of  the  building  when  it  is 
filled.  When  he  is  playing  at  the  con- 
(Conctuded  on  page  179) 

Central  Ward  Choir 

HThe  accompanying  photograph  shows 
■*■  another  splendid  choir  from  a  ward 
of  small  population.  Central  Ward, 
South  Sevier  Stake,  has  a  membership 
of  203  souls,  of  which  some  twenty  or 
more  are  absent  in  the  armed  services. 

This  choir  has  been  organized  for  five 
years,  has  sung  repeatedly  at  stake  con- 
ferences, and  was  never  happier  than 
when  singing  at  the  dedication  of  the 
new  ward  chapel. 

The  officers  are  as  follows:  Montez 
O.  Christiansen,  chorister;  Dean  Han- 
sen, organist;  Leland  S.  Gray,  presi- 
dent;  Heber  J.  Christiansen,  bishop. 

We  congratulate  this  ward  on  its  in- 
terest in  choral  music. — Alexander 
Schreiner. 


172 


THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


'jrjrjrjr. 


<«<««  «  ««  €<  <<<<*««««« 


From  the  Isles  of  the  Sea 

By  Mary  M.  Home 

Seeking  new  horizons,  the  descend- 
ants of  the  Norse  sailed  to  far,  far 
countries.  .  .  . 
From  Shetland — a  group  of  a  hundred 
windswept,  storm-beaten  islands,  near 
and  within  the  Arctic  Circle,  where  life 
is  a  continuous  battle  against  the  ele- 
ments and  winter  darkness- — my  grand- 
father, John  Manson,  set  sail  for  the 
sunny  land  of  Australia. 

In  the  south  of  that  continent,  near 
the  township  of  Rocky  Head  in  the 
state  of  Victoria,  he  bought  a  farm  on 
which  was  a  small  gold  mine.  Here  he 
established  a  family,  and  when  he  was 
killed  in  a  railroad  accident  some  twen- 
ty years  later,  he  left  a  widow  and 
nine  children,  my  father  being  the  eldest. 

My  father  later  made  his  home  in  the 
southernmost  part  of  Australia,  the 
island  of  Tasmania,  the  shores  of  which 
are  washed  by  the  cold  Antarctic  ocean. 

After  making  my  home  in  the  United 
States  of  America,  I  wished  to  obtain 
my  father's  family  history  and  geneal- 
ogy. The  only  information  I  had  was 
the  date  of  my  grandfather's  birth, 
1835,  and  the  place,  Shetland. 

I  decided  to  write  to  the  postmaster 
of  Shetland  to  see  if  he  could  direct  me 
to  someone  who  would  do  research, 
and  by  return  mail  I  received  a  remark- 
able letter  to  this  effect: 

Your  letter  of  the  28  th  of  June  came  into 
my  hands  as  I  was  dealing  with  the  post 
office  correspondence.  It  was  rather  a  coin- 
cidence that  my  own  grandfather  was  named 
John  Manson,  but  he  is  not  the  same  person 
as  you  are  inquiring  about. 

I  have  today  made  inquiries,  but  so  far 
have  not  made  much  progress.  It  would  be 
of  great  assistance  to  know  in  what  district 
of  Shetland  he  was  born. 

In  connection  with  my  work  I  do  quite 
a  lot  of  traveling  round  the  different  dis- 
tricts, and  I  am  quite  hopeful  that  I  will 
be  able  to  trace  the  information  you  desire. 

I  have  kept  the  dollar  bill  you  sent  but 
there  will  be  no  expense.  I  shall  be  only 
too  pleased  to  assist  you. 

An  inspired  answer  to  my  request,  I 
would  say. 

Writing  at  once  I  made  inquiries 
again  of  my  aunt  in  Melbourne,  Aus- 
tralia. The  result  of  her  search  was  the 
marriage  certificate,  issued  in  Ballarat, 
Victoria,  of  my  grandparents,  which 
also  stated  the  names  of  my  great- 
grandparents,  Oliver  Manson  and  Hen- 
derson Smith,  parents  of  John  Manson. 

With  these  names  the  postmaster 
again  made  inquiries  but  without  results. 
Finally  he  advertised  in  the  Shetland 
Times,  but  for  three  months  following 
received  no  reply. 

MARCH,  1944 


I  was  most  disappointed,  but  a  short 
time  later  I  received  some  interesting 
family  history. 

An  old  man  of  ninety-four  came  to 
see  the  postmaster,  and  told  him  he  was 
well  acquainted  with  Oliver  Manson, 
my  great-grandfather,  whose  home  was 
to  be  found  at  the  hamlet  of  Aywich, 
on  the  southeast  coast  of  the  island  of 
Yell. 

As  a  boy  twelve  years  of  age,  Oliver 
went  to  Greenland  on  a  small  sailing 
vessel,  to  help  with  the  fishing.  On  the 
return  trip  their  ship  was  stopped  by  a 
British  Man-O'-War,  and  the  press 
gang  boarded  the  little  vessel  and  took 
what  men  they  wished. 

Oliver  Manson  was  a 
without    consulting    his 
placed   him   aboard   the 
which    then    proceeded 


husky  lad,  so 
wishes,  they 
British  ship, 
to    Australia, 


probably  to  help  keep  order  in  the  gold 


diggings.  While  there,  Oliver  acquired 
a  gold  nugget,  and  some  years  later  on 
his  return  to  his  home  town,  Lerwick, 
he  had  a  wedding  ring  made  from  this 
piece  of  gold. 

Among  the  friends  of  the  postmaster 
was  an  old  lady  who,  as  a  small  child, 
enjoyed  seeing  Oliver  Manson  making 
spinning  wheels  by  hand  in  his  shop. 
She  said  of  him,  "He  was  so  gentle  and 
enjoyed  the  visits  of  the  children." 

Tt  was  indeed  wonderful  to  find  these 
•*•  two  living  witnesses  of  my  great- 
grandfather, and  to  hear  of  his  way  of 
living,  and  his  personality.  It  was  also 
a  great  surprise  to  read  in  the  same 
letter  that  one  living  descendant  of  my 
great-grandfather  had  been  found,  a 
Mrs.  Cowe  (Co-ee) .  Mr.  Manson  very 
kindly  called  to  see  my  relative,  giving 
{Continued  on  page  179) 


This  striking  genealogical  exhibit  was  a  part  of  the  decorating  scheme  at  the  wedding  reception  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Mac  Van  Valkenburg  (nee  Evelyn  Pate)  at  the  East  Midvale  Ward  on  August  27,  1943. 

ABOVE  THE  HILLS 

tuu  KJra  f-^ate  J^tewaft 

Tn  these  days  of  shifting  standards  and  changing  values,  we  look  around 
A    us  for  eternal  things  to  give  us  permanence. 

The  hills  about  us  in  their  everlasting  strength.  .  .  .  They  never  step 
aside.  .  ,  .  Nor  do  they  bow  before  the  winds  that  blow.  .  .  .  But  stand 
steadfastedly,  each  in  its  ordained  place. 

The  Lord  has  always  spoken  from  the  hills.  .  .  .  from  Sinai,  or 
Horeb,  and  now  these.  And  "the  strength  of  the  hills"  has  been  built 
into  his  house. 

How  restful  and  reassuring  it  is  to  go  to  the  House  of  the  Lord  ...  to 
feel  the  eternity  of  his  love  and  the  permanence  of  his  promises.  .  .  .  How 
beautiful  to  see  the  brides  and  grooms  kneel  in  purity  before  God  to  be 
joined  in  holy  marriage  for  time  and  all  eternity.  Their  children  and 
their  children's  children  will  bless  them  forever.  And  these  shall  be 
exalted  above  the  hills. 


173 


AND  IT  CAME  TO  PASS 


JILL  CURLEY 

HERRING, 

ADOPTED 

GRANDDAUGTER 

OF  THE 

AUTHOR 


By  <J.i 


t 


Lj.  i5lootnHeld 


And  it  came  to  pass  that  I  beheld  the  remnant  of  the 

seed  of  my  brethren,  and  also  the  book  of  the  lamb 

of  God,  which  had  proceeded  forth  from  the  mouth  of 

the  Jew,  that  it  came  forth  from  the  Gentiles  unto  the 

REMNANT  OF  THE  SEED  OF  MY  BRETHREN. (/  Nephi  13:38.) 


Twenty-odd  years  ago  we  had 
as  an  overnight  guest,  a  Hopi 
Indian,  Howela  Polacca,  who 
later  married  a  Navajo  girl,  Ruth. 
The  next  morning  after  he  first  ar- 
rived, at  the  breakfast  table,  Howela 
told  a  story  or  legend  of  his  people 
which  was  of  so  great  interest  of 
the  whole  family  that  we  sat  at  the 
table,  dishes  undone,  absolutely 
spell-bound  till  the  clock  struck  one. 
The  story  he  told  was  of  a  great 
man  who  appeared  among  his  fore- 
fathers many  hundreds  of  years  be- 
fore and  taught  them  the  right  way 
of  living.  He  stood  on  a  high  moun- 
tain and  his  voice  could  be  heard  by 
the  great  crowd  of  people  that  had 
gathered  around  for  many  miles.  He 
told  them  to  be  honest  and  to  stop 
stealing  and  to  return  good  for  evil. 
He  could  jump  from  a  high  cliff  and 
not  be  hurt  and  could  excel  in  all 
kinds  of  games.  Then  one  day  he 
told  them  he  would  see  them  no 
more,  and  he  arose  in  a  great  white 
light.  Long  after,  the  people  could 
see  the  light  shining  in  the  sky.  There 
were  many  more  details,  some  dis- 
torted, but  it  is  easy  to  see  how  such 
exaggerations  could  happen  as  the 
story  was  repeated  generation  after 
generation. 

We  then  read  to  him  from  the 
Book  of  Mormon  the  eleventh  chap- 
ter of  third  Nephi.  He  said,  "What 
do  you  know  about  that?"  We  wrote 
his  name  in  the  book  and  gave  it  to 
him. 

Recently  in  company  with  other 
missionaries,  we  made  the  long  trip 
to  Howela's  mountain  home  to  be 
in  attendance  at  the  baptism  of  his 
brother-in-law,  Rex  Bechi.  There 
was  a  note  of  sadness  in  the  joyous 
service. 

Gathered  in  the  humble  home 
of  the  Polaccas  were  about  thirty- 
five  Indians,  two  of  whom  had  asked 
to  be  baptized.  It  was  thought 
best  they  should  have  some  more  in- 
174 


struction  first.  While  a  car  went 
the  few  miles  to  bring  Rex  and  his 
parents,  Ruth  explained  baptism  to 
them.  Then  Rex  arrived,  paralyzed 
in  his  legs,  and  tied  to  a  board  around 
which  was  wrapped  a  blanket.  The 
gospel  had  been  taught  to  him  by 
the  Snowflake  missionaries  and  the 
Polaccas,  and  his  heart  and  soul  were 
fired  with  a  burning  desire  to  be 
baptized.  A  service  was  held  first  in 
which  a  number  of  the  missionaries 
spoke.  Then  at  the  close,  Howela 
arose  with  a  battered  old  Book  of 
Mormon  in  his  hand.  His  message 
and  testimony  to  his  adopted  tribe 
was  one  of  the  most  impressive  and 
sincere  we  ever  heard.  He  told  them: 

"I  have  studied  Mormonism  for 
twenty-three  years  now.  See  this 
old,  worn  book?  It  was  given  to  me 
by  Woscolie  and  his  wife  twenty- 
three  years  ago;  here  is  the  date  in 
the  front,  almost  worn  away.  I  know 
it  is  a  true  book  and  will  make  us  all 
better  and  happier  if  we  will  obey 
the  commandments  in  it.  Oh,  that 
you  may  see  the  truth  as  I  do!" 

At  that,  words  failed  him,  and 
sobs  shook  his  frame  while  tears  fell 
from  his  eyes.  Such  was  the  in- 
tensity of  the  feelings  behind  the 
words  that  both  whites  and  Indians 
brushed    tears    from    their    cheeks. 


A  growing  respect  for  their  darker 
skinned  brethren  has  resulted 
from  the  thirty  years  spent  at  a  trad- 
ing post  in  the  Navajo  Indian  reserva- 
tion at  Toadlena,  New  Mexico,  by 
the  author,  Lucy  G.  Bloomfield  and 
her  husband.  Rewarding  a  life-long 
desire  for  a  mission  was  the  call  to 
labor  among  the  Navajo  people  which 
came  to  this  couple  in  June,  1941. 

"In  the  last  thirty  years  we  have 
seen  the  Navajo  race  make  great 
progress,"  relates  Sister  Bloomfield. 
"We  have  seen  the  forts  that  were 
built  against  them  turned  into  schools 
of  learning  for  them.  Smart,  keen, 
and  highly  intelligent  we  have  found 
this  people." 


Then  the  strange  procession  formed 
for  the  short  walk  from  the  Polacca 
home  atop  of  a  hill  to  where  Howela 
had  dug  a  place  for  baptism  in  the 
small  mountain  stream.  No  words 
can  describe  the  picture.  Only  a 
camera  could  catch  all  the  beauty  of 
the  scene:  tall  mountains  and  pines, 
the  old  father  and  mother  following 
Rex,  as  he  was  carried  on  his  board, 
the  company  that  followed.  Some 
were  fearful  lest  the  cold  water  might 
harm  the  boy,  but  Rex  was  steadfast 
and  said,  "The  Lord  will  take  care 
of  me,"  and  he  did,  for  there  was 
only  a  tiny  gasp  as  Rex  came  forth 


CHIEF 

NATANA  AND 

HIS 

WIFE 


THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


from  the  watery  burial.  Soon  he  was 
smiling,  and  as  he  said,  "Now  I  am 
happy."  Rex  has  given  an  example 
to  his  people  that  will  set  them  think- 
ing. 

Then  refreshments  were  served, 
after  which  the  baptism  was  con- 
firmed and  three  children  blessed. 
We  then  started  on  the  homeward 
journey  over  the  treacherous  moun- 
tain road.  We  were  stuck  in  a  black 
mountain  dirt  mud  hole  for  over  an 
hour,  and  our  Sunday  clothes  liter- 
ally looked  like  mud,  but  we  all  voted 
we  would  do  it  over  again  rather 
than  miss  what  to  us  was  one  of  life's 
golden  glimpses. 

Qther  remarkable  conversions 
took  place  later,  after  the  mis- 
sionary work  was  formally  opened  in 
1 941 .  The  gospel  seeds  took  root  in 
the  hearts  of  two  other  faithful  In- 
dians. The  story  of  their  acceptance 
is  an  example  of  the  workings  of 
truth  within  noble  souls,  as  was  also 
the  story  of  Howela  Polacca  and  Rex 
Bechi. 

Several  years  ago  George  Jumbo 
was  an  employe  at  the  United  States 
Government  Indian  school.  He  was 
hurt  while  cleaning  the  boiler  at  the 
power  plant.  We  all  urged  him  to 
go  to  the  hospital,  but  his  parents 
wanted  to  hold  a  "sing"  first.  George 
soon  became  paralyzed  in  his  legs 
from  this  injury.  After  the  "sings," 
which  George  said  at  the  time  he 
only  permitted  out  of  deference  and 
respect  to  his  old  parents,  he  went 
to  a  government  hospital  where  he 
stayed  five  months.  Soon  after  he 
went,  I  sent  him  some  tracts  and  a 
Book  of  Mormon.  A  month  or  so 
later  I  received  the  following  letter: 

San.  Hospital, 
Ft.  Defiance,  Ariz. 
July  2,  1941. 
Hello  there,  folks, 

Dear  Friends— 

I  get  your  letter  last  week.  I  was  very 
happy  to  hear  from  you.  I  thank  you  very 
much  for  the  reading  your  letter. 

And  I  enjoy  the  reading  these  three  little 
books.  And  I  thank  you  for  the  stamps 
and  post  cards  you  send  me. 

And  I  like  the  reading  these  three  little 
books.  I  think  it  is  true.  I  am  going  to 
think  I  will  believe.  And  I  am  prayer  all 
the  time  to  my  God. 

I  get  the  letter  last  week  from  Fannie 
Redshaw.  When  I  get  somebody  letter 
always  glad  and  happy. 

I  am  just  doing  fine  with  my  hospital 
feeling  good  all  the  time.  I  don't  have  much 
to  say  to  you. 

Tell  all  my  folks  I  said  hello  to  them. 

This  is  all.    God  bless  you. 

From, 
George  Jumbo. 

IV^ary,    George's   wife,    stayed   at 

home  to  care  for  their  humble 

possessions:        A    little    two-room 

house,  a  team  of  horses  and  a  few 

MARCH,  1944 


chickens  and  an  acre  or  so  of  farm. 
She  made  the  trip  of  over  a  hundred 
miles  once  in  a  while  to  visit  George. 
After  one  of  these  visits  she  came 
and  asked  for  some  of  the  tracts. 
She  said  she  wanted  to  know  what 
it  was  George  was  reading  about 
and  was  so  interested  in.  Then  in 
July  George  came  home,  still  unable 
to  walk.  At  their  request  we  held 
study  meetings  twice  a  week  with 
them  at  their  home,  and  one  Sunday 
George  asked  if  he  might  be  admin- 
istered to.  This  was  done,  our  mis- 
sionary president  with  his  son  and 
my  husband  asking  God's  blessing 
on  George.  Their  interest  and  faith 
grew  with  investigation  and  study. 
Almost  any  time  we  would  drop  in 
to  see  them,  we  would  find  them 
reading  in  the  Book  of  Mormon.  The 
first  of  September  they  both  asked 
for  baptism.  We  told  them  they 
had  best  study  some  more  and  be 
very  sure  they  knew  what  they  were 
doing.  More  study  meetings  and 
prayer  followed. 

Then  on  October  8th  the  mission 
president,  William  Evans,  and  his 
son,  Richard,  and  wife  came  and 
held  a  meeting  with  them  and  asked 
them  questions.  They  both  bore 
their  testimony.  Mary  spoke  first 
and  said: 

"I  have  studied  my  Bible  since  I 
was  a  little  girl,  and  for  seventeen 
years  now  I  felt  I  should  join  with 
some  church,  but  I  just  seemed  to  be 
waiting  for  something  else,  and  now 
I  have  found  what  I  waited  for. 
Many  nights  of  late  I  have  lain  on 
my  sheepskin  by  my  husband's  bed, 
and  I  would  kneel  up  and  pray  to 
know  what  was  the  right  thing  to 
do  and  now  I  know  we  are  going  to 
join  with  the  right  church." 

Then  George  said,  "I  have  found 
the  truth  and  light  and  will  never 
give  it  up;  I  do  not  say  this  from  the 
edge  of  my  lips  but  from  deep  in  my 
heart."  And  so  October  15th  was 
set  for  the  baptism.  The  mission 
president  said,  "We  cannot  with- 
hold baptism  from  such  as  they." 

It  would  not  be  telling  the  whole 
story  if  we  neglected  to  say  that  they 
were  warned  that  they  were  taking 
a  false  step.  They  both  stood  firm 
in  their  faith  even  in  the  face  of  such 
accusations  as,  "Mary!  Mary!  think 
what  you  are  doing,  you  are  only  for- 
saking the  many  gods  of  the  Navajos 
to  embrace  the  God  of  the  Mormons 
and  will  be  much  worse  off  than  you 
were  before."  George  answered, 
"No,  I  have  found  the  truth  and  my 
Father  in  heaven,  and  I  wish  Sun- 
day was  tomorrow  so  I  could  be 
baptized  sooner." 

George  and  Mary  were  baptized 
at  Mancos,  Colorado,  a  trip  of  over 


two  hundred  miles.  We  went  there 
because  the  church  has  a  font,  and 
the  water  could  be  warmed.  In  the 
service  afterwards  before  the  as- 
sembly Mary  bore  her  testimony. 
She  said,  "We  are  very  poor,  and 
yet  we  are  rich  because  we  have 
found  God  and  the  true  church  and 
many  friends." 

We  have  taught  them  that  faith 
and  works  must  go  hand  in  hand  and 
so  George  will  soon  be  going  to  a 
hospital  for  an  operation  on  his  hurt 
back.  We  all  have  faith  George  will 
eventually  be  well  again.* 

I  am  sure  our  good  bishop  will  not 
object  to  my  quoting  the  following 
letter  that  George  and  Mary  re- 
ceived. It  tells  just  a  little  more  of 
their  story. 

Kirtland,  New  Mexico, 
October  30th,  1941 

To  Brother  and  Sister  Jumbo, 
Toadlena,  N.  Mex. 
Dear  Brother  and  Sister: 

Enclosed  you  will  find  tithing  receipt  for 
the  tithing  you  recently  paid,  and  with  it 
I  wish  to  send  my  congratulations  for  the 
step  you  have  just  taken.  I  know  that  if 
you  are  faithful  you  will  find  the  greatest 
happiness,  the  greatest  joy,  and  the  most 
comfort  that  could  come  to  you  from  any 
source. 

In  your  letter,  Sister  Jumbo,  you  men- 
tioned the  amount  being  so  small  you  al- 
most hesitated  the  giving,  but  one  of  the 
finest  features  of  the  gospel  is  that  it  is  not 
measured  by  dollars  and  cents  but  by  the 
condition  of  one's  heart  at  the  time  of  the 
giving.  I  know  by  the  fine,  sweet  spirit  of 
your  letter  that  an  offering  was  never  more 
acceptable  to  the  Lord  than  was  yours. 
As  one  of  his  humble  servants  chosen  to 
handle  the  tithes  and  offerings  and  see  that 
a  complete  record  is  kept  and  that  they 
are  sent  in  to  the  general  headquarters  of 
the  church,  I  sincerely  thank  you  and  prom- 
ise you  that  you  will  be  blessed  in  many 
ways  by  this  manifestation  of  your  new- 
born faith. 

It  makes  me  feel  so  happy  to  hear  that 
the  gospel  is  now  being  taken  to  the  Navajos. 
I  have  been  a  trader  among  the  Navajos 
for  the  past  fifteen  years,  at  Red  Rock.  I 
have  wondered  many  times  when  the  story 
of  the  Book  of  Mormon  would  be  taken  to 
them  because  I  knew  it  was  the  only  true 
history  of  the  American  Indians  to  be  found 
anywhere  and  that  it  is  not  only  history; 
it  is  scripture  and  showed  God  s  dealing 
with  their  ancestors  long  before  Columbus 
discovered  America. 

I  have  always  had  a  friendly  feeling  to- 
ward the  Navajos  because  from  the  Book 
of  Mormon  I  have  learned  that  they  are 
my  brothers  and  sisters,  that  we  are  dif- 
ferent just  because  conditions  we  have  lived 
under  have  been  different,  and  that  the  gos- 
pel is  the  only  means  of  bringing  us  back 
together.  After  it  has  had  time  to  operate, 
it  will  do  that  very  thing.  Education  is  a 
necessary  forerunner  but  it  will  be  the  gos- 
pel that  will  really  enlighten  the  world  and 
save  it  from  ruin. 

Conditions  in  the  world  today  prove  that 

in   education    alone   cannot   be    found    the 

(Concluded  on  page  176) 

*Long  since  departed  to  the  happy  hunt- 
ing ground  is  George's  great-grandfather. 
The  burning  desire  of  George's  heart  now 
is  to  go  to  the  temple  and  be  baptized  for 
his  beloved  brother  Ralph  and  for  "My 
good  old  great-grandpa." 

175 


ft 


j 


SHIRLEY  ANN  AND  HER    VIOLIN 

featured  soloist  with  INTERLUDE  FOR  STRINGS 

Conducted  by  Reginald  Beales 

K*S*L  MONDAYS  10:15  P.  M. 

WE  INVITE  YOV  TO  TUNE  IN 


GLADE     CANDY     CDMPANY 


Vl/nerever  cJney  C^o 


Dear  Sirs: 


C/O  Postmaster 
Los  Angeles,  Calif. 


I've  appreciated  very  much  having  the  ERA  sent  to  me  each  month.  While 
I  was  in  Camp  Polk,  Louisiana,  it  was  the  means  of  my  rinding  an  L.  D.  S. 
meeting  which  I  never  knew  existed  although  I  lived  within  a  mile  of  the 
place  for  nearly  six  months. 

SEND  THE  "ERA"  TO  A  BOY  IN  THE  SERVICE 

$2.00  a  year  delivered  anywhere 


And  It  Came  to  Pass 

( Concluded  from  page  1 75 ) 

healing  elements  so  badly  needed  in  a  war- 
torn  world.  The  nations  fighting  each  other 
are  educated  nations  but  not  converted  na- 
tions. If  each  one  believed  he  was  his 
brother's  keeper  as  the  gospel  teaches  us 
that  we  are,  war  would  stop  this  very  minute. 
Again  I  thank  you  and  wish  you  the  very 
best  of  success  and  happiness. 

Your  brother  in  the  gospel, 
Bishop  Carlos  J.  Stolworthy. 

*       *       * 

The  foregoing  is  just  a  partial  re- 
port from  this  small  part  of  the  Lord's 
vineyard  on  the  Indian  reservation. 
In  other  parts  the  same  or  similar 
work  is  going  on,  and  so — it  has  come 
to  pass  that  the  remnant  of  the  seed 
of  Lehi  are  again  hearing  and  em- 
bracing the  true  gospel. 

We  cannot  help  feeling  that 
through  the  great  blessings  of  our 
Heavenly  Father  we  are  helping  to 
write  a  supplement  to  the  Book  of 
Mormon  history. 


176 


Melchizedek  Priesthood 

( Continued  from  page  1 69 ) 
total  abstinence.  The  priesthood  quo- 
rums, for  both  boys  and  men,  also  have 
their  programs.  Thus,  all  the  organiza- 
tions in  the  church  have  a  part  to  play 
in  the  churchwide  total  abstinence  cam- 
paign. 

Prohibition  and  Congress 

Certain  sections  of  the  American  pub- 
lic have  recently  been  stirred  by  efforts 
made  to  get  congress  to  enact  a  law 
providing  national  prohibition  for  the 
"duration."  In  the  interest  of  war  re- 
quirements of  physical  fitness  in  the 
armed  services,  in  industry,  and  of  con- 
servation of  food,  as  well  as  the  spiritu- 
al good  of  our  citizens,  many  feel  that 
prohibition  should  return,  at  least  tem- 
porarily. But  at  this  writing  the  idea 
is  being  strongly  fought  in  the  con- 
gressional hearings,  held  because  more 
than  one  hundred  thousand  petitioners 
asked  for  the  hearings.  The  liquor  in- 
terests have  taken  notice  and  their 
powerful  negative  influence  is  being  felt 
in  Washington. 

The  "drys"  will  have  the  arguments, 
but  who  will  have  the  votes? 

Women  on  the  March 

"That  all  womankind  may  have  the 
opportunity  to  join  hands  to  hold  aloft 
the  standards  of  true  femininity  a  move- 
ment called  'Global  Thinkers,  Inc.'  has 
been  started."  Non-political,  non-sec- 
tarian, the  movement  is  designed  to 
help  women  develop  leadership  for  the 
solution  of  problems  of  social  adjust- 
ment needed  after  the  war.  To  lead 
womanhood  to  respect  and  maintain  the 
position  which  womanhood  should  hold 
that  the  home  front  may  be  safe  for  the 
youth  of  today  and  tomorrow  is  the 
chief  objective  of  the  movement,  in- 
corporated last  June  in  Nashville,  Ten- 
nessee, by  a  group  of  prominent  women. 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


MELCHIZEDEK  PRIESTHOOD 


Membership  is  now  being  solicited  in 
various  parts  of  the  country. 

The  general  purpose  of  the  organiza- 
tion is  to  combat  the  increase  of  drink- 
ing and  smoking  among  women  and 
girls.  The  plan  is  to  get  thinking  women 
whc  abstain  from  smoking  and  drink- 
ing to  become  charter  members  in  each 
state.  With  this  unit  quietly  working 
in  each  state  it  is  hoped  that  the  move- 
ment may  grow  to  large  and  influential 
proportions.  May  these  hopes  be 
realized! 

For  1944  the  slogan  is — "Woman  an 
ideal,  because  she  is  ideal." 

The  Refrainers'  Pledge 

Under  the  direction  of  their  principal, 
Ben  E.  Call,  Jr.,  the  students  of  the 
Teton  Stake  Seminary  organized  a  Re- 
frainers' Club,  November  21,  1943.  At 
the  organization  meeting  forty-six  stu- 
dents were  present,  all  of  whom  signed 
the  following  pledge : 

I  pledge  loyalty  to  myself  and  to  the 
members  of  this  club  by  refraining  from  the 
use  of  tea,  coffee,  tobacco,  and  alcoholic 
beverages.  I  will  not  use  them.  I  will  help 
make  it  possible  that  others  do  not  use  them. 

This  signed  pledge  also  bore  the  sig- 
nature of  two  witnesses. 

Long  live  the  Refrainers'  Club  of  the 
Teton  Stake  Seminary!  Will  its  ex- 
ample be  widely  followed? 

TbJtsA.  pwwc  JthsL  J-ialcL 

Cottonwood  Stake's  Welfare  Letter 

Dear  Brother: 

"There  is  a  destiny  that  makes  us  brothers, 
None  goes  his  way  alone, 
All  that  we  put  into  the  lives  of  others 
Comes  back  into  our  own." 

The  above  lines  express  a  thought  that 
is  characteristic  of  the  spirit  found  in  the 
great  welfare  program  of  the  church.  Such 
is  the  experience  of  the  great  majority  of 
those  who  have  participated  in  welfare 
projects. 

The  Salt  Lake  regional  authorities,  plan- 
ning for  possible  needs  in  the  future,  have 
given  Cottonwood  Stake  the  assignment  of 
producing  228,000  pounds  of  milk  in  1944. 
To  accomplish  this  objective,  it  will  be 
necessary  to  raise  considerable  money  to 
buy  feed  and  to  meet  operating  costs.  This 
cash  assignment  has  been  given  the  bishops, 
who  will  supervise  its  collection.  To  pro- 
vide the  necessary  labor,  it  is  suggested  that 
the  priesthood  quorums  be  given  the  op- 
portunity of  supplying  this  labor  as  quorum 
projects. 

The  stake  presidency,  therefore,  asks  that 
each  priesthood  member  "contribute,  in  labor, 
at  least  eight  hours  to  this  program  in  1944. 
Officers  should  keep  accurate  records  of  the 
activities  of  their  members,  and  when  it  is 
impossible  for  one  to  give  the  time,  a  cash 
donation,  equivalent  to  that  earned  in  an 
eight-hour  day  by  the  member,  will  be  ac- 
ceptable in  lieu  of  the  work.  .  .  . 

Here  is  your  opportunity  to  participate  in 
a  noble  work;  to  express  your  allegiance  to 
your  church  by  contributing  your  time  with 

MARCH,  1944 


your  quorum  brethren,  and  your  cash, 
through  your  bishop,  to  the  fulfilment  of 
your  part  in  this  assignment. 

Praying  the  Lord  to  bless  you  in  your 
service  to  him,  we  are, 

Sincerely  your  brethren, 

Cottonwood  Stake  Presidency, 

Win,  S.  Erekson, 
J.  E.  Wahlquist, 
V.  F.  McMillan 

Qtuuhdc  Ssi/wujl 

Letter  to  Stake  Presidents  Concerning 
Temple  Work  Project 

Dear  President: 

On  September  13,  1943,  the  first  presi- 
dency called  upon  Melchizedek  priesthood 
quorums  to  assume  as  a  quorum  project  the 
responsibility  of  endowment  of  many  thou- 
sands of  males  whose  names  had  accumu- 
lated in  the  temples. 

Gratifying  progress  has  been  made  in  the 
labor.  Much  yet  remains  to  be  accom- 
plished. Many  quorums  have  organized  en- 
thusiastically to  accomplish  their  assign- 
ment. Some  have  pledged  themselves  to  do 
a  certain  number  of  endowments  through 
personal  attendance  of  quorum  members  at 
the  temple.  Others,  remote  from  temples, 
have  sent  several  of  their  worthy  quorum 
members,  paying  the  expenses  while  these 
brethren  do  the  endowment  quota  of  their 
quorum.  Other  distant  quorums  have  sent 
funds  to  the  temple  asking  that  proxies  be 
secured  to  do  their  share  of  the  work. 

Reports  indicate  that  stake  presidencies, 
stake  Melchizedek  priesthood  committees 
and  stake  genealogical  committees  are  meet- 
ing frequently  to  perfect  plans.  Some 
church  service  committee  members  are  visit- 
ing quorum  members  in  their  homes,  read- 
ing to  them  the  message  of  the  first  presi- 
dency, inviting  them  to  participate  in  the 
program. 

The  church  service  committee  should  lead 
out  in  keeping  interest  alive  in  this  com- 
mendable activity,  and,  where  feasible,  or- 
ganizing quorum  temple  excursions. 

The  goal  of  endowing  these  100,000  males 
should  be  achieved  this  year,  and  can  be  by 
the  united  effort  of  all.  This  will  not  only 
bring  great  personal  satisfaction  to  all  who 
assist,  and  blessings  to  the  dead,  but  will 
bring  spiritual  enrichment  to  the  quorum 
itself. 

We  request  that,  as  stake  chairman  of 
Melchizedek  priesthood  work,  you  imme- 
diately ascertain  to  what  extent  the  quo- 
rums of  your  stake  are  participating  in  this 
program.  Obtain  a  report  from  each  on 
the  number  of  endowments  already  per- 
formed by  members,  and  take  steps  to  give 
further  stimulus  to  this  work. 

If  some  are  falling  down,  meet  with  quo- 
rum presidencies  and  help  them  plan  their 
part  in  this  program.  See  that  they  get 
started  right.  If  the  quorums  are  going 
ahead  successfully,  encourage  them  to  con- 
tinue so. 

It  is  a  program  which  must  not  fail  and  we 
call  upon  you  to  use  your  best  efforts  to 
see  that  it  succeeds. 

Sincerely  yours, 

Joseph  Fielding  Smith, 

Chairman,  Church  Melchizedek 
Committee 


THE  ADVERTISERS 

And  Where  You  Will  Find 

Their  Messages 

Allis-Chalmers  135 

Beneficial    Life    Insurance    Com- 
pany   Back  Cover 

Bonham  Brothers .—129 

Bookcraft  Company 132,  191 

Brigham  Young  University 180 

Continental  Oil  Co 178 

Crescent  Mfg.  Co.  (Mapleine)— .132 

Daynes  Music  Company 177 

John  Deere  Company 166 

Deseret  Book  Company 156 

Deseret  Federal  Savings  &  Loan..  185 

Deseret  News  Press 186 

Durkee's    Mayonnaise 182 

Durkee's  Troco  Oleomargarine....  163 
A.  B.  Farquhar  (Traction  Spray- 
ers)  Co 163 

Fels  Naptha  Soap  &  Soap  Chips..  138 

Fisher  Flouring  Mills  (Zoom) 131 

Glade  Candy  Co 176 

General    Insurance    Company    of 

America 1 84 

Globe  Mills 164 

Hall's  Canker  Remedy 180 

Hillam  Costume  Shop 165 

International  Harvester  Co.,  Inc..  183 

L.  D.  S.  Business  College 131 

Loma  Linda  Food  Products 188 

Maid  O'  Barley 165 

Morning  Milk 1 67 

Mountain  Fuel  Supply  Co 

Inside  Front  Cover 

Purity  Biscuit  Company 129 

Rancho    Soup 134 

Riggs,  Timberline 187 

Royal  Baking  Company... 133 

Safeway  Stores  Inc 

Inside  back  cover 

Sego  Milk 133 

Tea  Garden  Products... 166 

Hotel  Temple  Square 134 

Tribune-Telegram 189 

Hotel   Utah 190 

Utah  Engraving 1 65 

Utah  Home  Fire  Insurance 182 

Utah  Oil  Refining  Company 136 

Utah  Poultry  Producers  Cooper- 
ative Association 165 

Utah  Power  &  Light  Company 179 

Z.  C.  M.  I 181 

Zoom 131 


MUSIC 

for  CHURCHES  AND 

SCHOOLS 

Large  stocks  are  carried  for  vocal  and  instru- 
mental solos,  choirs,  bands  and  orchestras. 
There  is  but  limited  curtailment  by  the  govern- 
ment in  the  publishing  of  music  and  your  re- 
quirements can  be  reasonably  supplied.  Mail 
orders  rilled  promptly  or  write  for  catalogues 
and  special  lists. 

WE  CARRY  VICTOR,  COLUMBIA  AND  OTHER 
WELL  KNOWN  RECORDS. 

While  the  manufacture  of  pianos  and  band  in- 
struments was  discontinued  18  months  ago  by 
the  government,  due  to  war  conditions,  we  still 
have  limited  stocks  of  this  class  of  merchandise 
and  invite  you  to  write  for  further  information. 

DAYNES    MUSIC    CD. 

47  So.  Main  St.  Salt  Lake  City 


177 


/Htytf 


.  future  cars  with  Glareless  Lighting 


^OIL-PLATING  YOUR  ENGINE 

is  like  outdoing  the  future  —  today 


3,965,194  people  bought  the  "latest"  cars 
— mostly  1941  models.  Twenty-odd  mil- 
lion cars  are  still  older.  All  the  probable 
new  car  orders — even  if  dated  today — 
won't  be  quickly  filled.  Then  what  future 
car  improvement  is  likely  to  mean  more 
than  the  instant  improvement  of  your 
present  car's  health? 

The  least  you  can  do  for  it  is  to  have 
unsuitable  scratchy  Winter  oil  drained. 
But  get  more  than  an  oil  change;  adopt 
the  major  advancement  of  motor  oil  that 
oil-plates— by  getting  Conoco  Nth  oil 
for  your  indispensable  oil  change  this 
Spring.  Conoco  Nth  motor  oil  adds  pro- 
tective oil-plating  to  working  parts  by 
"magnet-like"  effect.  This  comes  from  the 
special  modern  synthetic  in  patented 


Conoco  Nfh  motor  oil ...  at  regular  price. 

Oil-plating  defies  engine  acids.  These 
infest  every  engine;  they're  part  of  every 
explosion.  They  tend  to  corrode  metals 
most  when  your  engine's  driven  little — 
not  heated  throughout — often  re-started 
after  full  cooling.  Yet  even  for  more  favor- 
able postwar  driving  you'll  want  acid- 
resistant  oil-plating.  Why  not  get  it 
without  waiting?  Today!  Simply  change 
to  Your  Mileage  Merchant's  Conoco  Nth 
oil  for  Spring.   Continental  Oil  Company 


CONOCO 


MOTOR  OIL 


178 


THE   IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


MEET  RADAR 


(Concluded  from  page  149) 
lies.  They  showed  pilots  how  far  they 
were  above  sea  level,  not  how  far  they 
were  above  the  highest  point  on  the  ter- 
rain over  which  they  were  flying,  or 
how  far  they  were  from  cloud-wrapped 
mountain  peaks.  The  invention  of  the 
radio  locator  was  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant adjuncts  to  safe  flying. 

Although  the  lid  of  military  secrecy 
is  still  clamped  down  tight  on  radar,  we 
know  that  the  Axis  uses  a  version  of 
this  ray — hence  the  fairly  complete 
word  picture  we  have  been  able  to  paint 
of  radar's  magic.  It  should  be  men- 
tioned that  the  allied  nations'  equipment 
is  far  superior  to  that  of  captured  Ger- 
man and  Jap  apparatus. 

The  present  lull  in  Nazi  sub  activities 
is  due,  military  authorities  believe,  to 
the  fact  that  Germany  has  withdrawn 
many  of  its  undersea  boats  for  re- 
arming and  installation  of  improved 
radar  devices. 

The  German  battleship,  Bismarck, 
laid  its  first  devastating  salvo  on  the 
British  cruiser,  Hood,  in  May  1941,  as 
a  result  of  the  use  of  radar  detectors. 

Moreover,  a  British  plane  which  lo- 
cated the  giant  Nazi  ship  and  guided 
English  warships  and  bombers  in  for 
the  kill  was  fired  at  and  hit  while  still 
out  of  sight  above  the  clouds. 

"D  adar  is  a  navy  code  meaning  "radio- 
*7  detecting-and-ranging."  You've 
heard  considerable  about  it;  you're  go- 
ing to  hear  a  lot  more  in  the  future. 

In  the  Atlantic,  radar  is  playing  a 
dramatic  role  on  board  convoy  vessels. 
It  enables  task  force  commanders  to 
maintain  constant  checks  on  the  ships 
in  their  charge,  despite  bad  weather  and 
darkness.  It  keeps  them  fully  informed 
of  the  presence  of  enemy  submarines  for 
miles  in  every  direction. 

Radar  got  its  first  test  at  sea  on  board 
the  battleship  New  York  in  1939.  A 
destroyer  squadron  had  been  assigned 
to  make  a  torpedo  "attack"  on  the 
battlewagon  under  cover  of  darkness. 
The  test  was  so  completely  successful 
that  Vice  Admiral  Alfred  W.  Johnson 
turned  in  this  report:  "The  equipment 
is  one  of  the  most  important  radio  de- 
velopments since  the  advent  of  radio 
itself." 

At  present,  and  for  the  duration  of 
hostilities,  radar  will  be  exclusively  a 
war  instrument.  But  when  the  Axis  is 
conquered,  it  will  be  one  of  our  largest 
postwar  industries.  Then,  manufacture 
in  the  field  of  ultra-high  frequency  radi- 
ation will  be  channeled  to  scores  of 
peacetime  uses  already  worked  out. 
Among  them  are  food  preservation,  au- 
tomatic control  of  machinery,  fire  detec- 
tion, regulation  of  lighting  and  many 
other  uses. 

Here  is  a  classic  example  of  the  mag- 
nitude and  cost  of  supplying  the  armed 
forces  with  vital  radar  equipment.  The 
production  of  one  order  for  a  single 
type  of  radar  model  exceeded  in  value 
the  entire  cost  of  the  Boulder  Dam 
project! 

MARCH,  1944 


Present  production  of  radio-radar 
equipment  is  close  to  $250,000,000,  a 
month,  states  Mr.  Ellis.  After  the  war, 
together  with  television,  which  is  as  far 
advanced  now  as  radio  was  in  1937, 
radar  will  make  history. 


Music 

[Concluded  from  page  172) 
sole  with  singers  shouting  in  his  ears,  it 
is  impossible  to  judge  balance  and  blend 
correctly.  They  can  be  achieved  only 
by  having  someone  else  play,  and  listen- 
ing to  the  hymn  from  a  distance.  Such  a 
procedure  will  improve  his  use  of  the 
organ. 

Questions  for  Consideration  : 

1 .  Sing  the  examples  of  hymns  mentioned 
in  the  article. 

2.  Sing,  and  then  discuss  the  difficulties 
of  "Lead  Kindly  Light." 

3.  What  happens  when  hymns  are  sung 
too  fast?  too  slow?   Discuss. 

4.  Review  the  course  of  six  lessons  as 
time  allows.  The  first  lesson  concerned  the 
planning  of  the  ward  music  program  for 
the  year;  the  second  treated  congregational 
singing;  the  third  was  on  functions  of  the 
church  organist;  the  fourth  on  choral  sing- 
ing; the  fifth  discussed  the  nature  of  music 
for  worship;  and  this  final  article  comments 
on  tempos  for  hymn  singing. 

This  is  the  last  of  a  series  of  six  meet- 
ings for  Ward  Music  Guilds  throughout 
the  church.  We  hope  that  benefits  have 
been  derived  from  the  material  pres- 
ented and  the  discussions  that  have  been 
held. 


Genealogy 


(Continued  from  page  173) 
her  my  letters.  She  wrote  to  me  at  once 
saying: 

Dear  Mrs.  Home: 

I  was  delighted  to  hear  from  Mr.  Manson 
that  I  had  living  relatives  on  my  mother's 
side  of  the  family;  I  thought  I  was  the  last 
of  the  race.  My  Aunt  Andrena  and  my 
mother  often  talked  of  their  brother  who 
they  knew  had  sailed  to  Australia. 

She  also  mentioned  that  the  ring  made 
of  Australian  gold  was  now  in  her  pos- 
session. Speaking  about  her  life  work 
she  said: 

I  left  home  before  I  was  twenty  to  be 
trained  in  London  for  missionary  work. 
Later  I  was  appointed  evangelist  for  the 
Shetland  Islands,  and  traveled  over  it  con- 
ducting missions. 

While  there  I  went  to  Aywick,  my  moth- 
er's place  of  birth,  and  there  met  the  man 
who  became  my  husband,  and  we  were  ap- 
pointed superintendents  to  the  Royal  Na- 
tional Mission  to  Deep  Sea  Fisherman. 

Later  she  wrote: 

I  am  sending  a  map  of  Shetland,  and  I 
have  marked  all  the  places  where  we  held 
missions.  You  will  notice  one  mark  on  a 
small  island.  The  little  chapel  was  down 
by  the  sea  edge.  I  used  to  ring  the  bell, 
and  my  congregation  came  from  the  neigh- 
boring islands  in  their  small  row  boats.  I 
(Concluded  on  page  180) 


»  REDDY  KILOWATT 

Ifour  Electric  Servant 

mm  mm  ma.  u  w  em 


In  wartime,  as  in 
time  of  peace 


WE   APPRECIATE 
THE   PRIVILEGE 

OF 
SERVING   YOU 


We  are  endeavoring 
to  do  so  efficiently 
and  courteously. 


Utah  Power 

& 

Light  Co. 


St 


ones 

Half   a   hundred  of   them — as   only 

President  Grant  can  tell  them- — 

contained  in 

GOSPEL 
STANDARDS 

Now  in  its  tenth  edition 

Attractively  bound 

$2.25 

At  all  booksellers 


179 


You  Cannot 

A  fford 
to  WAIT 

This  time  of  the  year  is  as 
good  as  any  other  to  con- 
tinue your  college  train- 
ing at  Brigham  Young 
University.    Begin  with 

SPRING  QUARTER 
March  27 

If  you  cannot  attend  dur- 
ing Spring  Quarter,  make 
arrangements  now  to  at- 
tend the 

SUMMER  SESSION 

First  term: 
June  12— July  21 

Second  term: 
July  24— August  25 


For  further  information,  address 
The  President 

BRIGHAM 

YOUNG 

UNIVERSITY 

PROVO.  UTAH 


wwwwwwwwwwwvwvw 

IN  USE  For  OVER  FIFTY  YEARS 

Aids  in  treatment  of  Canker,  simple 
sore  throat,  and  other  minor  mouth 
and  throat  irritations. 

Hall's  Canker  Remedy 

536   East   2nd   So.    —  at   Salt   Lake    City,    Utah 


WHEREVER  THEY  GO 

Saskatoon,  Sask. 

Since  joining  the  air  force  I  have 
been  posted  at  many  various  stations. 
.  .  .  Naturally  I'm  anxious  to  have  my 
ERA  catch  up  with  me. 

H.  L.  Matkin 


GENEALOGY 


(Concluded  from  page  179) 
still  preach  two  or  three  times  a  week — all 
honorary  work. 

The  map  was  an  excellent  one,  scale 
half  an  inch  to  the  mile.  It  had  a  cloth 
back  and  was  folded.  Every  detail  was 
given — each  hamlet,  tiny  island,  bridle 
path,  footpath,  road,  etc. 

Speaking  of  Manson  genealogy,  my 
relative  said: 

I  was  looking  at  an  old  book  of  Shetland 
families  belonging  to  my  cousin  on  my  fa- 
ther's side,  and  I  found  there  were  Mansons 
in  Ay  wick  before  the  16th  century.  Un- 
fortunately, I  have  been  unable  to  get  a 
copy  of  this  book,  but  hope  to  do  so  in  the 
future. 

Mrs.  Cowe  soon  had  a  worldwide 
correspondence:  my  father's  sister  in 
Melbourne,  Australia;  a  relative  of  my 
mother's  in  South  Africa;  and  my  own 
family  in  Salt  Lake  City.  She  said  that 
it  is  lovely  to  have  so  many  relatives. 
Before,  she  felt  that  she  was  such  a 
lonely  soul. 

On  the  large  scale  map  of  the  Shet- 
land Isles  I  located  Aywick  hamlet  in 
the  parish  of  Mid  and  South  Yell.  Since 
this  parish  register  is  now  preserved  at 
the  Register  House  in  Edinburgh,  I 
wrote  to  Miller  and  Bryce,  researchers 
there,  and  they  searched  the  register  for 
the  years  1771  down  to  1838. 

Among  these  entries  was  the  birth  of 
my  grandfather,  John  Manson,  in  1835, 
the  son  of  Oliver  Manson  and  Hender- 


son Smith,  along  with  the  births  and 
christenings  of  eight  other  children  of 
this  same  couple.  The  father's  name  ap- 
peared under  various  spellings  as  OUa 
Magnuson,  Oliver  Maunson,  etc.  There 
was  recorded  also  the  marriage  at  Mid 
Yell  of  Olla  Manson  of  Lumbester  to 
Henderson  Smith  of  Brother  Isles  (a 
small  island  just  off  the  coast  of  Yell ) , 
on  November  23,  1822. 

Following  back  through  the  birth  and 
christening  entries  I  found  the  birth  of 
Olla,  son  of  Magnus  Ollason,  Decem- 
ber 7,  1794. 

Thus  from  a  small  beginning  I  had 
located  friends  and  a  relative  in  Shet- 
land, had  learned  the  parish  where  my 
grandfather,  John  Manson,  was  born, 
and  had  been  able  to  trace  his  parents 
and  grandparents  and  obtain  the  record 
of  their  families. 

Further  search  will  now  be  under- 
taken in  the  registers  of  Mid  Yell  from 
1700-1771  to  ascertain  the  parentage 
and  ancestry  of  my  earliest  known 
progenitor,  Magnus  Ollason,  and  also 
that  of  Henderson  Smith,  my  great- 
grandmother. 

My  father  refused  to  consider  that 
these  people  were  his  relatives,  but 
when  I  made  a  visit  to  Australia  in  1939, 
and  he  saw  a  copy  of  the  official  records 
from  Register  House,  Edinburgh,  ob- 
tained by  Miller  and  Bryce,  and  read  on 
this  document  the  names  his  father  had 
mentioned  to  him  as  a  boy,  he  realized 
they  were  his  own  kin. 


THE  TIE  THAT  BINDS 


(Concluded  from  page  143) 
protected  from  life;  they  aren't  called 
into  family  conferences,  they  are  not 
asked  to  share  family  responsibilities. 
Instead,  their  life  is  a  playground  until 
long  after  the  age  when  they  should 
have  reached  maturity. 

We  don't  drink  or  smoke,  yet  we 
do  untold  harm  to  our  bodies  by  stuff- 
ing them  with  all  sorts  of  unhealthful 
foods. 

We  admit  we  should  be  doing  things 
we  know  we  shouldn't.  We  use  for  an 
excuse  the  fact  that  we  don't  have  the 
we  are  not,  yet  continue  to  do  things 
time.    We  only  live  once,  we  say. 


LAND 

By  Marcia  Nichols  Holden 

A  long  the  rural  routes  where  boxes  flag 

^^  The  mail,  spreads  acre  after  acre  deep, 

Land  under  grass,  land  under  tillage,  land, 

The    price    of   many    lives,    its    depth,    its 

sweep. 

The  reassurance  of  the  time  to  come 
Is  here.  The  roots  go  down,  the  child  is  fed 
That  hungered.    This  is  the  one  permanent 
Sure  thing  remaining,  after  all  is  said. 


180 


We  listen  to  a  man  make  a  speech, 
and  we  tell  him  he's  a  good  speaker, 
then  forget  what  he's  said. 

These  are  by  no  means  all  our  fail- 
ings. They  are,  however,  typical  of 
the  attitudes,  the  habits  which  compose 
the  tie  that  we  must  break  if  we  want 
others  to  break  it  too.  We  cannot 
hope  to  break  completely  with  the 
"world,"  but  we  must  be  able  to  decide 
which  course  to  choose  when  there  is 
a  clash  of  ideas  and  ideals. 

The  correction  of  these  failings 
would  certainly  have  a  very  satisfying 
effect  on  persons  outside  the  church, 
and  in  helping  others  we  also  help  our- 
selves. When  Abraham  Lincoln,  work- 
ing in  a  store,  happened  to  underchange 
a  customer  and  walked  nine  miles  to 
give  the  man  the  rest  of  his  money,  it 
seemed  as  if  he  were  doing  all  for  the 
other  fellow  and  would  get  nothing  for 
himself.  Nor  was  he  concerned  over 
getting  anything  for  himself.  But  it 
seems  honesty  was  almost  as  rare  then 
as  it  is  today,  and  so  the  customer, 
amazed  at  anyone's  going  to  such  great 
lengths  to  return  money  he  could  easily 
have  kept,  had  to  tell  the  story  to  others. 
Thus  "Honest  Abe"  gained  for  himself 
a  thing  worth  more  than  all  the  fortunes 
of  the  world,  a  good  name. 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


RIGHT: 

GLEANER  GIRLS,  SIXTH 

WARD,  IDAHO  FALLS 

STAKE 


On  May  2,  1943,  the  Gleaner  Girls  of  the  Sixth  Ward,  Idaho  Falls  Stake,  held  their  final  camaraderie 
of  the  1942-43  Mutual  season.  They  presented  a  program  for  the  Sunday  evening  meeting  and  bound  the  ward 
sheaf.  Mrs.  E.  L.  Holmgren,  Ward  Y.W.M.I.A.  president,  presented  the  two  Golden  Gleaners,  Nellie  Shearer 
and  Lucille  Slater,  with  Golden  Gleaner  pins.  Closing  remarks  were  given  by  Mrs.  John  Homer  who  encouraged 
the  girls  to  carry  on  their  M.I. A.  activity  while  the  M  Men  are  away.  Plans  have  been  made  and  partially 
carried  out  for  all  girls  to  spend  at  least  one  evening  each  week  in  the  Red  Cross  Surgical  Dressing  Room. 

The  picture  was  taken  the  night  of  the  camaraderie.  The  girls  are  (left  to  right) :  Lucille  Slater  and 
Nellie  Shearer,  Golden  Gleaners;  Margaret  Slater,  Gwen  Micheel,  Merna  Curtis,  Doris  Jergenson,  Alta  Jorgenson, 
1  la  Ashliman,  Audrey  MacKay,  Mary  Jane  Royer,  Gwen  Winn,  and  Muriel  King,  Sixth  Ward  Gleaner  leader. 


LEFT:  CANADIAN  CAMARADERIE 
Gleaner  Girls  from  Alberta,  Taylor,  and  Letli- 
bridge  stakes,  Canada,  who  are  in  Calgary  attending 
school  or  serving  in  the  Canadian  Woman's  Army 
Corps  are  seen  here  at  their  recent  camaraderie 
night  in  the  Calgary  Ward. — Reported  by  Margaret 
Dahl. 

Mufual  Messages 

(Continued  from  page  155) 
own  community  and  work  out  novel  and 
interesting  ways  for  the  functioning  of 
the  Bee  Hive  program. 

Swarm  Day  and  Bee  Hive  Week 

Just  as  each  year  brings  around  the 
various  holidays,  county  fairs,  Pio- 
neer celebrations,  so  each  May  brings 
Bee  Hive  Week.  Through  radio,  win- 
dow displays,  newspaper  publicity  and 
swarm  day  exercises  you  can  meet  your 
Bee  Hive  girls  in  person.  They  would 
appreciate  a  little  more  sponsoring,  par- 
ticularly from  the  menfolk.  Oscar  A. 
Kirkham,  one  of  the  most  enthusiastic 
of  Bee  Hive  sponsors,  recently  returned 
from  the  Southern  States  Mission  so 
enthusiastic  about  the  Bee  Hive  pro- 
gram, he  has  offered  to  write  a  new 
song  for  them. 

Swarm  day  your  girls  will  participate 
in  a  program  which  embodies  the  high- 
lights of  the  past  winter  and  marks  the 
beginning  of  the  summer  and  outdoor 
program.  Surely  no  greater  gift  could 
come  to  your  Bee  Hive  girls  than  to 
(Concluded  on  page  182) 


/    w* 


V 


\ 


/; 


\. 


o 


1(0  tk***?* 

voo  for  Ye** 

.  ..  ZOAI  was  famous  in  the 

hnck  as  the  "Gov  N*eW*  ,)se.  That 

A.s  for  back  y^  ^chan 

store  that  featured ■***  .  ^  we 

West  os  the  w  and  the 


In  these 


times 


•  „  tn  maintain 

,  buy  WW  «rf<V 


more  than  ever 

clothes  thot  You  con 


IC*A« 


w 


MARCH,  1944 


181 


GiNum 


DURKEE'S  Mayonnaise  makes 
better  salads,  tastier  dressings... 
gives  new  goodness  to  every- 
thing you  use  it  with... because 
it's  genuine  mayonnaise,  made       ' 


Nobody  Can 
Stop  LOSS— 

Everybody  Can 
Avoid  It  Through 
LIFE  INSURANCE 


When  you  come 
here  for  insurance 
you  get  it,  coupled 
with  attentive,  expe- 
rienced service.  This 
is  an  agency  of  the 
Utah  Home  Fire  In- 
surance Co. 

UTAH  HOME  FIRE 
INSURANCE  CO. 

Heber  I.  Grant  &  Co. 

General  Agents 
Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 


MUTUAL  MESSAGES 


(Concluded  from  page  181 ) 
have  leadership  and  opportunity  to  meet 
together  during  the  summer  months. 
War  may  cause  rationing  of  gas,  tires, 
and  food,  but  surely  not  in  the  joy  and 
happiness  which  a  camping  experience 
brings.  Juniors,  Gleaners,  the  big  sisters 
of  Bee  Hive  girls,  you  can  be  a  moving 
force  in  helping  to  sponsor  some  of 
these  summer  activities.  If  a  father,  ask 
your  Bee  Hive  girl  what  her  symbol  is, 
why  she  chose  it,  and  have  her  explain 
to  you  the  awards  on  her  band.  If  she 
is  going  to  be  an  Honor  Bee  Hive  girl 
and  receive  an  honor  award,  praise  her 
for  her  achievement.  Do  not  forget  that 
such  an  honor  corresponds  to  becoming 
an  Eagle  Scout  in  her  brother  organiza- 
tion. 

The  past  few  months  have  been  a 
time  of  testing;  power  and  strength  un- 
dreamed of  have  been  revealed.  Bee 
Hive  girls  have  proved  capable  of  fitting 
into  many  situations  that  in  normal 
times  would  have  seemed  beyond  their 
powers.  If  the  future  brings  greater 
calls,  they  may  still  be  depended  on  to 
give  full  measure  of  service. 


(DjtmvwL 

Deseret  Theater  Production 

C\b  interest  to  drama  enthusiasts 
^"'  throughout  the  church  is  the  third 
offering  of  the  Deseret  Theater,  Out  of 
the  Frying  Pan,  presented  March  1,  2, 
3,  at  the  Lyric  Theater  in  Salt  Lake 
City. 

Director  of  this  fast-moving  comedy 
is  Edwin  H.  Lauber,  with  Becky 
Thompson  assisting. 

In  keeping  with  the  plan  to  afford  as 
many  as  possible  play  experience,  the 
production's  cast  of  twelve  characters 
includes  but  three  who  have  been  used 
in  previous  Deseret  Theater  perform- 
ances: the  remaining  nine  have  been 
drawn  from  the  various  ward,  stake,  lit- 
tle theater,  and  other  drama  groups.  The 
cast  for  Out  of  the  Frying  Pan  includes 
the  following:  Fae  Donna  Thornley, 
Flora  Stoker,  Margery  Sorenson, 
Eleanor  Postore,  Elaine  Thorpe,  David 
Swanson,  Omer  Morris,  Nathan  B. 
Hale.  Vernon  Lowden,  Bart  Mitchell, 
Bob  Barr,  and  Glenn  Sacos. 


THE  SPOKEN  WORD 


(Concluded  from  page  151 ) 
fashion  moves  toward  faith — in  learned 
circles,  as  well  as  among  laymen.  It  is 
an  encouraging  note  in  an  otherwise 
dark  picture,  and  we  have  reason  to 
hope  that  there  may  come  a  day  when 
faith  and  belief  will  be  as  popular  and 
as  fashionable  as  doubt  and  skepticism 
once  were.  — January  9, 1944. 

*J-)L5cipuned  ^Jsrearid 
ana    rf/lnad 

HP  he  conduct  of  men  is  modified  by 
•*"  laws  which  provide  penalties  for 
almost  every  outward  act  of  evil  that 
could  be  named  or  devised.  Whether 
enforced  or  not,  there  are  on  the  statute 
books  prohibitions  and  punishments  for 
immorality,  theft,  drunkenness,  bear- 
ing false  witness,  violence,  duplicity, 
and  dishonorable  dealings  of  every  kind 
and  description,  notwithstanding  which 
the  multiplicity  of  violations  is  appall- 
ing. And  these  outward  evidences  of 
an  inward  condition  bring  us  face  to 
face  with  the  truth  that  no  present 
means  of  physical  enforcement  can  pre- 
vent evil  so  long  as  the  greater  of- 
fenses are  committed  within  the  minds 
of  men  and  in  the  secret  places  of  their 
hearts.  There  is  no  human  agency  that 
has  yet  devised  a  means  of  legislating 
against,  or  punishing,  an  act  that  does 
not  take  physical  form.  You  may  deter 
a  man  from  evil-speaking,  but  you  can't 
stop  him  from  evil-thinking.  You  may 
prevent  him  from  stealing,  but  you  can't 
keep  him  from  coveting.   You  may  re- 


182 


strain  him  from  committing  violence, 
but  you  can't  stop  him  from  wishing  he 
could — at  least  not  by  any  legal  bar- 
rier, or  police  surveillance,  or  physical 
device.  And  while  we  need  protection 
from  the  outward  violations,  yet  more 
than  this,  and  basic  to  it,  we  need  pro- 
tection from  wrong-thinking;  we  need 
protection  against  false  motives,  against 
evil  intent;  we  need  disciplined  hearts. 
"For,"  it  is  written,  "out  of  the  heart 
proceed  evil  thoughts,  murders,  adul- 
teries, fornications,  thefts,  false  witness, 
blasphemies:  these  are  the  things  which 
defile  a  man...."  (Matt.  15:19.20.)  Cir- 
cumspect conduct  on  conspicuous  occa- 
sions is  not  necessarily  an  indication  of 
circumspect,  thought,  or  of  innate  good- 
ness. It  may  be  merely  a  deference  to 
conventions  or  appearances.  And,  the 
real  test  of  civilization,  the  real  measure 
of  goodness,  is  not  whether  or  not  we 
are  fit  company  in  our  own  solitude. 
Outward  immoral  acts  are  an  aggra- 
vated problem  in  any  society,  but  only 
when,  as  a  people,  we  can  come  to  place 
emphasis  on  thoughts  and  motives  and 
spiritual  and  inward  purity,  shall  we 
approach  a  realization  of  the  standards 
set  by  him  who  said:  "Blessed  are  the 
pure  in  heart,  for  they  shall  see  God." 
Strength  and  safety,  peace  and  abiding 
happiness,  lie  in  purity  at  the  source, 
where  thoughts  are  born  and  where 
deeds  take  shape — and  not  merely  in 
concealing  the  outward  evidence  of  an 
act  that  has  already  taken  form  within. 
In  short,  if  a  man  can't  think  straight, 
there  can  be  no  assurance  that  he  can 
live  straight,  "For  as  he  thinketh  in 
heart,  so  is  he."  (Proverbs  23:7.) 
Copyright.  1944.  — January  30,  1944. 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


"THE  FARMALL  SYSTEM 


11 


. .  .and  the 

FARMALL 

fights  for  FOOD 


Cultivation  like  this  is  an  outstanding  FARMALL  job.  Notice  how  the  plants,  even  at 
this  height,  are  not  damaged  by  the  equipment,  yet  cultivating  is  clean  as  a  whistle. 


§^^BS^M 


ior  more  than  two  years 
this  country  has  been  arming,  farming,  and 
fighting  its  way  to  Victory.  American  farm« 
ers  are  working  as  they  never  have  worked 
before  to  supply  all  the  food  that  is  needed 
for  the  nation,  for  the  Armed  Forces,  and 
for  our  Allies.  On  their  farms  is  more  mech- 
anized equipment  than  any  other  nation 
possesses ! 

Hundreds  of  thousands  of  tractors  and 
all  the  machines  that  go  with  them  are  a 
major  resource  of  the  United  States.  They 
are  proof  of  the  fact  that  between  two  world 
wars  this  country  armed  its  agriculture. 

The  foundation  of  this  wartime  armor  is 
the  farmall  system,  a  way  of  power  farm- 
ing practiced  by  more  farmers  than  any 
other  method.  The  heart  of  this  system  is  the 
sturdy  FARMALL  Tractor,  the  prime  mover  on 
power  jobs  throughout  rural  America.  For 
twenty  years  it  has  been  the  most  popular 
tractor  for  one  basic  reason.  The  FARMALL 
design  makes  possible  the  most  efficient 
working  units  of  machines  and  power  for 
farms  of  every  size  and  kind. 

There  will  be  more  new  FARMALLS  this 
year,  but  still  not  enough  to  go  around.  Your 
International  Harvester  dealer  will  help  you 
work  out  the  most  efficient  way  to  raise  more 
of  the  food  that  fights  for  freedom.  He's  your 
supply  man  for  the  entire  farmall  system. 

INTERNATIONAL   HARVESTER  COMPANY 

180  North  Michigan  Avenue  Chicago  I,  Illinois 


The  Ordinal  Farmall  -  Earn  in  1923 

20th  Anniversary  of  the 
FARMALL  IDEA 

This  is  the  tractor  that  was  designed  at  the  start  as 
the  power  half  of  an  implement-tractor  unit.  Every 
improvement  in  20  years  of  constant  development- 
has  increased  the  efficiency  of  the  implement-tractor 
team.  Today  the  farmall  leads  because  it  powers 
the  most  productive  mechanized  team  on  farms, 
everywhere. 


MARCH,  1944 


183 


THE  CHURCH  MOVES  ON 


{Concluded  from  page  159) 
Luella    Marie    Perry,   born    August    15, 
1925.   Excommunicated  August  24,  1943,  at 
Barnum  Ward,  Denver  Stake. 

Alice  Pearl  Sterner  Knosp,  bora  Septem- 
ber  11,   1913.    Excommunicated  November 

26,  1943,  at  Twenty-second  Ward,  Weber 
Stake. 

Estella  Schwendiman  Smith,  born  April 
24,  1911.  Excommunicated  December  31, 
1943,  at  Burbank,  San  Fernando  Stake. 

Zona  D.  Peterson  Smith,  bora  January 

27,  1914.    Excommunicated   December  31, 
1943,  at  Burbank,  San  Fernando  Stake. 

Missionaries  Released 

THE  following  were  released  during 
December    1943,    and    others    not 
previously  reported: 

California:  J.  Reid  Burnett,  Greenriver,  Utah; 
Melvin  Arnold  Mertlich,  Salt  Lake  City;  Elden  Wil- 
liam Wade.  Malad,  Idaho;  Joseph  Milo  Chatterton, 
Preston,  Idaho;  Howard  Niles  Peck,  Shelley,  Idaho; 
Arthur  Eugene  Dibble,  Salt  Lake  City;  Alma  Wood- 
row  Petersen.  Firth,  Idaho;  Joseph  Walter  Spencer, 
Malad,  Idaho;  Lenold  Arthur  Davidson,  St.  Anthony, 
Idaho;    Glen  Howard  Hadley,  Ogden,  Utah. 

Canadian:  Richard  Leo  Smith,  Salt  Lake  City;  Rich- 
ard M.  Swenson,  Pleasant  Grove,  Utah;  Leland  Aaron 
Poole,  Long,  Beach,  California. 


Clive  Richard  Harston,  Cowley,  Wyoming;  Lowell 
Tom  Perry,  Logan,  Utah;  Joseph  Elmer  Bair,  Woods 
Cross,  Utah;  Richard  Parker  Moffatt,  Glendale,  Cali- 
fornia; Elias  Albert  Moyes,  Jr.,  Bakersfleld,  California. 

North  Central:  James  Grant  Pace,  Duncan,  Arizona; 
Carl  M.  VanTassel,  Hanna,  Utah;  Willard  Bleak 
Thompson,  Cedar  City,  Utah;  Clyde  K.  Cox,  Fair- 
view,  Utah;  Mrs.  Edith  Dunn  Richards  (wife  of  mis- 
sion president).  Salt  Lake  City;  George  Franklin 
Richards,  Jr.  (mission  president),  Salt  Lake  City; 
Alan  D.  Bennett,  Kaysville,  Utah;  Glen  Reuben  Rus- 
son,  Lehi,  Utah;  Earl  Finlayson  Hill,  Payson,  Utah; 
Chester   William   Stokes,   Promontory,    Utah. 

Northern  California:  Ardel  Holmes  Loveland.  Yost, 
Utah. 

Northwestern:  Charles  Victor  Anderson,  Heber 
City,  Utah;  George  Albert  Anderson,  Provo,  Utah; 
Karl  Nelson  Butler,  Eagar,  Arizona;  Richard  Ellwood 
Carruth,  Ogden,  Utah;  Farrel  Ronald  Fletcher.  Salt 
Lake  City;  George  Brown  Handy,  Ogden,  Utah;  James 
West  McLachlan,  Murray,  Utah;  Melvin  Gilbert 
Randall,  North  Ogden,  Utah;  Clarence  Eckersley  Rig- 
by,  Salt  Lake  City;  Major  Marlton  Simons,  Phoenix, 
Arizona;  Edwin  Osborn  Tolman,  Fairview,  Wyoming; 
David    Max    Tyler.    Ucon.    Idaho;      Charles    Leonard 


Wall,  San  Jose,  California;  Theodore  Earl  Aston, 
Smithfield,  Utah;  Lorin  Roy  Oakey,  Rexburg.  Idaho; 
Heber   John   Boehme,   Geneva,   Idaho. 

Southern:  Fern  Thompson,  Pocatello,  Idaho;  Shelby 
Mickelson  Bentley,  Parowan,  Utah;  Alfred  Oron  Berry, 
Phoenix,    Arizona. 

Spanish-American:  Alden  Bliss  Cook,  Salt  Lake 
City;  Leo  Stevens  Gerrard,  Salt  Lake  City;  Quentin 
Solomon  Hale,  Oakley,  Idaho;  Morris  Mariatn  Wilson, 
Ephraim,  Utah;  Joseph  Elmer  Allen,  Salt  Lake  City; 
Heber  Maughan  Jensen,  Rexburg,  Idaho;  Grant  Wood- 
ruff Heath,  Salt  Lake  City;  Vernon  Robert  Telford, 
Idaho  Falls,  Idaho;  Louis  Franklyn  Boyle,  III,  Oak- 
land, California. 

Texas:  James  Foster  Chandler,  Rigby,  Idaho;  Wen- 
dell Jay  Peterson,  Hyrum,  Utah;  Wendell  LaVern 
Leavitt,  Bunkerville,  Nevada;  William  Curtis  Jolley, 
Tropic,  Utah;  Robert  Earl  Hughes,  Bakersville,  Cali- 
fornia; Vee  John  Koyle,  Salem,  Utah;  Owen  Stanley 
Stewart,   Oakland,   California. 

Western:  Pearl  May  Blodgett.  Salt  Lake  City; 
Marjory  Boyce,  Salt  Lake  City;  Marcia  Checketts.  Bear 
River,  Utah;  Joseph  Reed  Crystal,  Rigby,  Idaho;  Jacob 
Franklin  Arrington,  Twin  Falls,  Idaho;  Katherine 
Heese  Lamprecht,  Blackfoot,  Idaho;  Rulon  Vern  Bas- 
tian,  Weston.  Idaho;  Lionel  Ronald  Lindsay.  La- 
Grande,  Oregon;  William  Levi  Prescott,  Kamas,  Utah; 
Irwin  Thompson  Stoddard.  Richmond.   Utah. 


PIONEER  DIARY 


uiciuuiny , 


Utah; 


Esther  Ethel  Nakken,  Salt  Lake  City;  Lem  Lovell,  Oak 
City,  Utah;  Millward  DeRobinson,  Newdale,  Idaho; 
Melvin  Joseph  Peterson,  Joseph  City,  Arizona;  Charles 
William  Carpenter,  Elko,  Nevada. 

East  Central:  James  Wayne  Mason,  Bountiful.  Utah; 
Benjamin  Franklin  Birtcher,  Globe,  Arizona  (died  in 
field);  Clarence  William  Boehme,  Geneva,  Idaho;  Or- 
lin  Grant  Colvin,  Sr.,  Tropic.  Utah;  Donald  George 
Foster,  Driggs,  Idaho;  Rich  Francis  Hadley,  Ogden. 
Utah;  Eunice  Judkins  Hadley,  North  Ogden.  Utah; 
Curzon  William  Hailes,  Salt  Lake  City;  Fred  Heger- 
horst,  Jr.,  Salt  Lake  City;  Hyrum  William  Loutensock, 
Jr.,  Salt  Lake  City;  Merle  Jay  Palmer,  Mesa,  Arizona; 
George  Finity  Price,  Phoenix,  Arizona;  David  Grant 
Skinner,  Safford,  Arizona;  George  Anthony  Smith, 
Victor,  Idaho;  Don  Clifton  Summers,  Salt  Lake  City; 
Kenneth  Ralph  Tobler,  Santa  Clara,  Utah;  Vergil  H. 
Allred,  Safford,  Arizona;  Maurice  Edward  Barlow, 
Gardena,  California;  George  F.  Price.  Jr.,  Phoenix, 
Arizona. 

Hawaiian:  Charles  Fenton  Adams,  Midvale,  Utah; 
Donald  Booth  Cleverly,  Woods  Cross,  Utah;  Leland 
Don   Halverson,   Salt  Lake  City. 

New  England:  Harold  Bert  Bandley,  Provo,  Utah; 
Lyman  Ray  Beck,  American  Fork,  Utah;  Selar  Orland 
Eggleston.   Eden,  Utah. 

Northern:    Charles  Bartlett  Bingham.  Vernal.  Utah; 


( Continued  from  page  1 53 ) 
1848 

Saturday,  January  1  -  A  dinner  party 
at  Br.  Miller's.  After  dinner,  Moth[er] 
M[iller]  arose  and  express'd  her  wish 
for  the  sis[ters]  to  proceed  in  their 
order  of  blessing,  having  call'd  them  in 
by  the  consent  of  her  husband,  re- 
quested Sis.  Sessfions]  to  pray.  Sis. 
Sessions]  arose  &  said  she  was  subject 
to  Sis.  M  filler]  while  under  her  roof  6 
was  willing  to  act  in  accordance,  6c. 
She  pray'd,  after  which  I  arose  6  bless'd 
Sis.  M  filler]  &  was  follow'd  by  Sis. 
Holmes,  Howd,  Sessions,  three  of  Sis. 
M[iller]'s  daughters  (two  of  whom 
rec[eived]  the  gift  of  tongues),  Love 
&  Abbott — five  brethfren]  present,  4 
of  whom  spoke,  Br.  Jackman  remarking 
that  there  was  more  intelligence  in  the 
hearts  of  the  sisfters]  that  aft.  than  in 


the  hearts  of  all  the  crown'd  heads  of 
Europe.  By  request  of  his  wife,  Br. 
M filler]  dismiss'd  the  meet[ing] — sent 
for  Clara  &  spent  the  eve  with  Path  [er] 
Sessfions]. 

Sunday,  January  2.  Att  [ended]  fam- 
[ily]  meet[ing]  at  Br.  Whipple's.  The 
Lord's  supper  administer 'd. 

Monday,  January  3.  Supp'd  with  El- 
len. 

Tuesday,  January  4.  By  request,  spent 
the  day  at  Br.  Jedediah  M.  Grant's  in 
assisting  with  my  journal  in  making  up 
the  history  of  the  Camp  from  Winter 
Quarters. 

Wednesday,  January  5.  Stayed  till 
afternoon  at  Br.  G[rant]'s.  At  2  at- 
tended] meetfing]  at  Bishfop]  Hig- 
bee's.  Wedding  in  the  eve  at  Br.  Hen- 
rick's  in  good  style — good  order  &  with 
good  feelings.  P[arley]  P.  Pfratt]  of- 
ficiated. 


& 


A  20%  Saving  is 

CERTAINLY  WORTH  WHILE! 

"When  profit  margins  are  close,  like  in  the  grocery 
business,  every  saving  is  worth  while.  When  I  can 
get  the  strongest  and  safest  capital  stock  fire  insur- 
ance that  money  can  buy,  on  a  plan  which  has  re- 
turned me  20%  on  premiums  every  year  ...  I  say  it's 
a  mighty  good  deal.  Why  don't  YOU  look  into  it?" 

Ask  your  GENERAL  Agent  —  TODAY! 
CAPITAL  STOCK  INSURANCE  ...  AT  ITS  BEST! 


GENERAL  INSURANCE  COMPANY  OF  AMERICA 
GENERAL  CASUALTY  COMPANY  OF  AMERICA 
FIRST  NATIONAL  INSURANCE  CO.  OF  AMERICA 

H.kiDBK't,  President  .  .vHiine  Office:  SEATTLE 


GENERAL 

INSURANCE  CO 

OFAMERICA 

Wome-Qffice 


GENERAL 


Utah-Southern  Idaho  Service  Office,  Pacific  National  Life  Bldg.,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 


184 


THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


PIONEER  DIARY 


Thursday,  January  6.  Spent  the  day 
at  Elder  Taylor's.  He  adjusted  his 
Camera  Obscura  for  our  amusement. 
His  conversation  very  interesting — he 
compar'd  our  getting  along  in  this  king- 
dom to  going  down  the  Missouri  River 
on  a  raft — where  the  snags  before 
[ahead]  beheld  at  a  distance,  seem'd 
thick  &  impassable,  but  a  way  was 
found  to  row  past  them  as  they  ap- 
proach'd  them  one  by  one  &  when  it 
became  dark  he  always  tied  up  his  raft 
&  lay  still  till  the  day  dawn'd. 

The  weather  is  fine — the  ground  wet. 
New  Year's  day,  the  laws  were  read  & 
sanction'd  for  the  good  order  of  this 
place. 

Saturday,  January  8.  A  young  ladies' 
meeting  at  Sis.  Howd's. 

Monday,  January  10.  Din'd  at  Br. 
Kotchner's — meetfing]  at  2  o'clock  at 
which  Br.  Kfimball]  presided — the 
weather  is  like  the  op'ning  of  spring. 

Friday,  January  14.  Spent  the  eve 
at  Br.  Noble's  on  the  occasion  of  his 
birthday. 

Saturday,  January  15.  This  mor[n- 
ing]  Vilate  D.  [Kimball]  gives  birth  to 
a  fine  daughter. 

Friday,  January  21.  My  44th  birth- 
day— stayed  at  Fath[er]  Sessions] 
last  night  having  visited  Sis.  Whitney 
the  day  before,  &  this  day  spent  with 
Sis.  Noble — din'd  on  coffee  &  pancakes 
with  molasses  &  sup'd  on  biscuits  made 
from  flour  ground  in  the  Valley,  butter, 
tea,  dried  beef,  peach-sauce,  sweeten'd 
fried  cakes  &  custard  pie. 

Lines  to  Elder  Jackman  on  the  Death 
of  His  Wife 

Children  weep  o'er  disappointments 
But  the  chosen  of  the  Lord 

Ne'er  should  think  the  dispensations 
Of  his  providence  are  hard. 

[Six  four-line  stanzas  follow] 

Saturday,  January  29.  Cold  6  snowy 
— vis  [it]  Sis.  Hamilton. 

Monday,  January  31.  Spent  the  day 
at  Mothfer]  Dilworth's,  the  eve.  at 
Fath[er]  Smith's. 

Friday,  February  4.  Celebrated  Sis. 
Sessions']  birthday  with  Br.  &  Sis.  Ab- 
bott— in  the  eve  carried  a  cap  to  Moth- 
[er]  Smith  which  I  had  made  her  yes- 
tferday].  Att[ended]  meet[ing]  at  Br. 
Savage's — after  a  hard  struggle,  we  had 
a  good  time.   Alas  that  Saints  of  God 


can  be  so  full  of  selfishness  as  to  sacri- 
fice the  source  of  others'  happiness  to 
gratify  their  own  enthusiastic  notions. 
Strange  that  any  should  seek  to  shorten 
the  arm  that  has  been  extended  to  lift 
them  out  of  affliction. 

Saturday,  February  5.  Att[ ended] 
meet[ing]  at  Br.  Miller's. 

Sunday,  February  6.  The  day  fine. 
P[arley]  P.  P[ratt]  preached  on  the 
square. 

To  Elder  Levi  Hancock 

Farewell  Brother  Levi!   go  forth  on  your 
journey 
We'll  pray  for  your  peace  &  prosperity, 
too, 
Altho'  the  long  distance  is  tedious  &  lonely 
The  Lord  God  of  Joseph  will  see  you  safe 
thro'. 

[Six  four-line  stanzas  follow] 

Thursday,  February  10.  Sisters' 
pray'r  meetfing]  for  Father  Smith. 

Friday,  February  11.  Bish[op] 
Foutz  died  this  afternoon. 

Saturday,  February  12.  Meet[ing] 
at  Br.  Hendricks'. 

Sunday,  February  13.  Ellen  K.  gives 
birth  to  a  son. 

Tuesday,  February  15.  Meetfing]  at 
Br.  Allen's. 

Thursday,  February  17.  Last  night 
had  a  fine  rain — it  seems  like  spring. 

Friday,  February  18.  This  mor[ning] 
the  ground  is  covfered]  with  a  sheet  of 
snow.  Went  to  Mrs.  M.  Smith's,  6 
in  comfpany]  with  Fath[er]  &  Moth- 
[er]  Sessions  had  my  patriarchal  bless- 
ing. 

Saturday,  February  19.  Spent  the  day 
at  Fath[er]   Sfessions'],  making  caps. 

Sunday,  February  20.  The  3d  time 
of  trial  before  the  High  C[ouncil]  of 
the  case  between  Peirce,  Brown,  Ells- 
worth &  Decker.  Sis.  Allen  died  Sat  [ur- 
day]  morfning], 

Monday,  February  21.  Att [tended] 
meetfing]  at  W[illard]  Snow's — 
stayed  with  Sis.  Smoot. 

Tuesday,  February  22.  One  of  Br. 
Snow's  twins  died — F  [ranklin]  K.  Shed 
died  suddenly,  suppos'd  by  eating 
poisonous  vegetables. 

Wednesday,  February  23.  The 
weather  thought  to  be  the  coldest  we 
have  had  in  the  Valley.  I  vis[ited]  at 
Br.  Abbott's  with  Sis.  Crandall — stayed 
at  Fath  [  er  ]  Sess  [  ions'  ] . 

(To  be  concluded) 


THE  CONSECRATION  MOVEMENT 


( Continued  from  page  147) 
The  establishment  of  far-flung  settle- 
ments over  the  broad  stage  of  pioneer 
activities  and  their  defense  from  the 
Indians  required  the  closest  kind  of  co- 
operation. The  tendency  for  strong  in- 
dividualists to  reach  out  for  themselves 
and  take  more  land  than  they  could  use 
limited  the  opportunities  of  those  who 
were  to  come  later,  weakened  the  com- 
munity, and  placed  in  jeopardy  the  lives 
of  those  who  made  habitations  at  a  dis- 

MARCH,  1944 


tance  from  the  town  site.  The  pooling 
of  all  property  under  the  system  of  con- 
secration would  remove  the  incentive 
for  individual  personal  aggrandizement. 
The  support  of  the  Public  Works  re- 
quired a  heavy  draft  on  both  labor  sup- 
ply and  resources.  Tithes  alone  seemed 
quite  inadequate.  That  President 
Young's  vision  of  mighty  works  to  be 
accomplished  made  any  possible  sum 
that  might  be  collected  in  money  or  in 
kind   appear   inadequate,   goes   almost 


without  saying.  He  was  fond  of  the 
doctrine  that  all  belonged  to  the  Lord. 
To  him,  there  was  no  inconsistency  in 
diverting  means  gathered  for  a  hall  for 
the  seventies  to  the  greater  project  of 
the  temple. 

If  I  want  all  the  funds  that  have  been  col- 
lected for  the  Seventies  Hall,  I  calculate  to 
use  them.  The  people  need  not  expect  us 
to  give  them  the  easy  circumstances  the 
noblemen  of  the  Gentile  nations  enjoy  while 
there  is  so  much  for  us  to  do  for  the  public 
good.  There  is  more  before  us  at  the  pres- 
ent time,  this  year,  than  will  take  five  to 
accomplish.* 

Consecration   offered  possibilities,    for 
(Continued  on  page  187) 

(Discourse   In   the  Salt   Lake   Tabernacle,    February 
8.  1853 


I'M  EARNING  MORE, 
SO  I'M  SAVING  MORE 
FOR  THE  OPPORTUN- 
ITIES OF  THE  FUTURE 

Work  may  not  always  be  so 
plentiful  .  .  .  wages  as  high 
...  as  today.  So  put  aside 
your  dollars  ...  as  many  as 
you  can  ...  in  a  savings  ac- 
count at  DESERET  FEDERAL. 
Safety  is  insured  to  $5000  by 
a  permanent  agency  of  the 
United  States  government  .  .  . 
Liberal  dividends  are  com- 
pounded every  six  months. 

$1  will  open 
your  account 


Jos.  E.  Kjar, 
President 


Alex  E.  Carr, 
Secretary 


DESERET 
FEDERAL 

S&t/utf* cuuC  toon 

ASSOCIATIO  N 


44  SOUTH  MAIN 


185 


SOLUTION  OF  FEBRUARY  PUZZLE 


1 

.A 

R 

K 

fi 

0 

"P 

H 

E 

R 

W 

O 

o 

— 

1 

A 

1 

D 

c 

E 

A 

N 

$ 

o 

L 

E 

0 

W^M^m 

A 

N 

G 

E 

$ 

1 

D 

0 

1 

A 

S 

| 

•R 

$ 

A 

V 

E 

-R 

V 

H 

1 

ji 

A 

& 

0 

M 

E 

■R 

& 

c 

H 

E 

N 

A 

A 

T 

Y 

A 

M 

$3 

L 

E 

M 

U 

-R 

M 

E, 

R 

0 

W 

A 

N 

k 

T 
H 

R 

A 

"l" 

kS 

N 

1 

P 

S 

E 

M 

1 

T 

S 

1 

N 

T 

O 

R 

$ 

1 

S 

& 

B 

0^ 

Wi 

^ 

A 

c" 

jA 

D 

E 

N 

A 

1 

•R 

b 

R 

K 

E 

-R 

A 

0 

R 

1 

A 

D 

A 

E 

L 

V 

A 

N 

w 

A 

N 

T 

0 

</ 

E 

N 

$ 

E 

R 

1 

1 

W 

1 

V 

E 

S 

$ 

A 

N 

A 

N 

H 

C 

C 

o 

V 

_Ej 

Jl 

A 

N 

T 

» 

T 

E 

X 

L 

Scriptural  Crossword  Puzzle— Jacob's  Dream 

"And  he  dreamed,  and  behold  a  ladder  set  up  on  the  earth,  and  the  top  of  it  reachtd 
to  heaven:  and  behold  the  angels  of  God  ascending  and  descending  on  it. "-—Gen.  28:12. 


CZ=>OC=30< >o<r— >o< >o<ttt>o< >o< 

improvement 

C^ra,  ^vtbicnbefi 


The  ERA  gives  you  much  of 
the  beet  current  CHURCH 
LITERATURE.  Within  its  cot- 
ers  you  find  each  month  au- 
thoritative material  written  or 
spoken  by  our  church  leaders. 

Has  it  occurred  to  you  what 
priceless  gems  of  theology, 
poetry  and  down-to-earth  gos- 
pel you  have  in  the  year-by- 
year  volumes  of  this  maga- 
zine? 

Why  not  preserve  them  for 
your  future  reference  and  your 
children's  edification?  We  urge 
you  to  do  so. 


Single  volumes  (12  numbers)  bound 
in  durable,  attractive,  blue  cloth 
binding,    stamped    in    gold    $2.25 

each  plus  postage. 

Ten  or  more  volumes  at  one  time 

$2.00  each  plus  postage. 

Bring  them  in  or  mail  them  to  us 
NOW! 

Jha  *JJe6eret  If  (ew6  j-'re65 

29  Richards  Street,  Salt  Lake  City 

>n< >o< >n< ><x >Qgr— >fl<— -\a* ^g 


ACROSS 


1  Subject  of  this  puzzle 
9  "the  top  of  it  reached  to  .  .  ." 
11   "this  is  the  ...  of  heaven" 

14  A  king  of  Midian  Num.  31:  8 

15  "And  .  .  .  hated  Jacob  " 

18  Spoken 

19  A  friend  of  David   1  Kings  1 :  8 

20  American    educationist 

21  Famous  Bible  illustrator 

22  "and  poured  .  .  .  upon  the  top  of  it" 

Gen.  28:  18 

23  Central  state 
25  Chemical   suffix 

27   "Make  thee  a  fiery  serpent,   and  set  it 
upon   a   .   .    ."   Num.   21:  8 

29  Article 

30  "the  name  of  that  city  was  called  .  .  . 

at   the  first"    Gen.   28:  19 

31  Mark  was  one 


32  Sinai  was  one 

33  Left  hand 
35  Unfolds 

37  "Jacob  vowed  a  .  .  ."  Gen.  28:  20 

38  Note 

39  Nickel 

40  City  in  Russia;  lore   (anag.) 

42  Valley   in   which  David  killed   Goliath 

1  Sam.  17:  19 
45  Away 

48  Belgian    French    (abbr.) 

49  Turn  about 

50  Purpose 

51  Clip 

53  "And  he   dreamed,   and  behold  a  .  .  . 
set  up  on  the  earth" 

56  Dialect   of  Eastern  Assam 

57  "And  Jacob  went  out ,  and 

went  toward  Haran" 


DOWN 


2  Jacob  built  this  Gen.  35:  7 

3  Exclamation 

4  It   was    here    that    Israel    sang,    "Spring 

up,   O  well  "  Num.   21:  16 

5  Gideon  said,   "wherewith  shall  I   .   .   . 

Israel?"  Judg.  6:  15 

6  507 

7  Note 

8  Esau  became   this   of  Jacob 

10  "because   the    .    .    .    was   set" 

11  "then  shall  the  Lord  be  my  .  .  ." 

12  "and,  lo,  my  sheaf  .  .  ." 

13  "and   the  .   .   .   shall  melt  with  fervent 

heat"   2  Pet.   3:  10 

16  Continent 

17  "and  behold  the  . 

23  City   of  Egypt  Jer. 

24  "And     he    called     the    name     of    that 

place  .  .  ." 


.  .  of  God" 
46:  25 

the    name     of 


186 


26  "Thy    .    .    .    shall    be    called    no    more 

Jacob,  but  Israel"  Gen.  32:  28 

27  "he   took   of   the   stones  of   that  place, 

and  put  them  for  his  .  .   ." 

28  What  Jacob  had  for  27  down 

34  It   was   on   the  way  to  this   place   that 

Jacob  had  his  dream 
36  "And  this   stone,  which  I  have  set  for 

a  .  .  ." 
41  David's  eldest  brother  1  Sam.  16:  6 

43  Gold 

44  "Yet  are  they  turned  about  with  a  very 

small  .   .  ."  Jas.  3:  4 

45  "the  leaf  shall  .   .   ."  Jer.  8:  13 

46  ".  .  .  on  white  asses"  Judg.   5:  10 

47  "Now  an  ...  is  the  tenth  part  of  an 

ephah  "  Ex.   16:  36 
52  Genus  of  grasses 

54  Fifth   month   of   Jewish  year 

55  Recording  Secretary 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


THE  CONSECRATION  MOVEMENT 


(Continued  from  page  185) 
it  definitely  placed  at  the  command  of 
the  church  everything  beyond  current 
subsistence. 

Tt  must  be  reiterated  with  some  degree 
of  emphasis  that  the  considerations 
thus  far  outlined  cannot  alone  account 
for  the  consecration  movement  of  the 
middle  'fifties.  They  help  us  to  under- 
stand why  the  attempt  occurred  at  that 
time  rather  than  at  some  other.  The 
principle  itself,  of  which  the  experiment 
we  are  discussing  was  an  attempted  ap- 
plication, was  one  of  the  fundamentals 
in  the  system  outlined  in  the  revelations 
of  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  and  in- 
spired the  efforts  to  establish  a  new  so- 
cial order  in  Jackson  County,  the  move- 
ment for  consecration  in  the  period  un- 
der discussion,  and  the  United  Order 
movement  inaugurated  by  President 
Young  in  1874. 

Consecration,  we  have  pointed  out, 
was  the  first  step  in  a  plan  to  utilize 
all  the  economic  resources  and  energies 
in  the  service  of  the  common  cause. 
The  second  step  was  the  trans- 
fer to  him  who  had  consecrated,  of  a 
stewardship  of  land,  household  goods, 
implements,  and  tools;  not  necessarily, 
but  very  probably,  the  properties  orig- 
inally consecrated.  The  final  step,  re- 
peated annually  or  oftener,  was  the  sur- 
render to  an  agent  of  the  church  of  all 
the  surplus  resulting  from  the  operation 
of  the  stewardship. 

We  have  noted  in  Part  I,  Febru- 
ary Era,  page  80,  that  in  the  period 
under  review  the  first  step  was  taken 
by  hundreds  of  individuals  all  told 
whose  deeds  of  transfer  were  recorded 
over  a  period  of  nearly  eight  years. 
From  the  table  it  will  be  observed  that 
the  movement  was  practically  termi- 
nated in  1 858.  No  recordings  have  been 
found  in  the  period  1859-1861  and  only 
two  in  1862.  Making  generous  allow- 
ances for  the  number  of  deeds  recorded 
in  counties  where  records  are  missing, 
it  is  apparent  that  the  total  number  of 
people  recording  is  a  relatively  small 
part  of  the  seven  thousand  heads  of 
families  residing  in  Utah  in  1858. 

The  results  must  have  been  disap- 
pointing to  President  Young.  They  con- 
firmed the  judgment  of  Apostle  Orson 
Pratt  that  the  Saints  were  worshipers  of 
the  gentile  god  of  property.8  Orson  Pratt 
was  the  strongest  advocate  of  the  prin- 
ciple of  consecration  and  frequently  ex- 
pounded it  from  the  pulpit  and  in  the 
press.  Of  his  own  attitude  he  said,  "I 
long  for  the  time  to  come  when  I  can 
consecrate  everything  I  have  got;  all 
the  cattle  I  have;  . .  .  also  my  books  and 
the  right  and  title  I  have  to  publish  my 
works;  also  my  wearing  apparel  and 
my  houses."7  This  was  in  1854,  before 
the  standard  form  of  deed  had  been 
made  available.  Not  every  apostle  was 
equally  enthusiastic.  Orson  Hyde  con- 
fesses that  at  first  he  was  negligent  and 
had  departed  on  his  mission  to  Carson 

^Journal  of  Discourses,  II,  pp.  259-266 
Ubld..  II.  pp.  259-266 

MARCH,  1944 


Valley  without  complying.  Later  he  ex- 
perienced a  change  of  heart  and  made 
a  partial  consecration.8 

Tn  accounting  for  the  comparatively 
limited  response  to  the  call  to  con- 
secrate, it  may  be  taken  for  granted  that 
some  took  alarm  at  President  Young's 
vigorous  statements  from  the  pulpit.  He 
was  not  a  man  to  mince  words.  An- 
noyed by  the  slowness  of  response  to 
the  appeal  to  debtors  of  the  Emigrating 
Fund,  he  scolded  church  debtors  round- 
ly. 

...  I  am  tired  of  men  who  are  eternally 
gouging  their  brethren  and  taking  advantage 
of  them,  and  at  the  same  time  pretending  to 
be  Saints.* 

Certainly  men  of  the  kind  referred  to, 
whatever  their  pretensions,  would  not 
place  all  their  possessions  at  the  dis- 
posal of  the  church. 

An  apostle  explained  the  limited  in- 
terest in  consecration  by  saying  that 
President  Young  was  indifferent  about 
it;  that  is,  though  he  saw  in  the  ob- 
servance of  the  principle  a  safeguard 
against  temptation,  he  thought  the  mem- 
bers must  exercise  the  greatest  freedom 
of  choice  in  the  matter.  The  speaker 
observed  that  the  youth  were  more 
ready  to  consecrate  than  those  older 
in  the  faith.10  This,  of  course,  may  be 
explained  by  the  relative  amounts  of 
property  held.  Those  having  little  would 
be  sure  to  get  that  little  back  as  a 
stewardship,  and  there  was  a  chance 
that  they  might  get  more  out  of  the 
surpluses  of  the  better-to-do.  It  is  prob- 
able that  some  held  back  because  the 
deeds  transferred  to  the  trustee-in-trust 
instead  of  to  the  bishop  as  provided  in 
the  revelations.  No  doubt  as  many  or 
more  would  be  influenced  contrariwise, 
depending  on  the  degree  of  confidence 
inspired  by  their  respective  bishops. 

"VJCTe  should  expect  to  find  in  the  record 
*  "  somewhere  instructions  from  Pres- 
ident Young  concerning  the  use  of 
property  and  of  income  from  property, 
title  to  which  had  been  transferred  to 
the  trustee-in-trust.  According  to  the 
revelations  and  the  interpretation  given 
to  them  by  such  authorities  as  Orson 
Pratt,  the  transfer  of  title  to  the  church 
should  have  been  followed  by  a  formal 
return  of  all  or  part  of  the  property,  or 
of  some  other,  as  a  stewardship  to  be 
used  first  to  supply  the  needs  of  the 
member  and  his  family  and  next  to  sup- 
port the  work  of  the  church.  In  the  ab- 
sence of  action  by  an  agent  of  the 
church  to  take  control  and  designate  a 
portion  or  the  whole  as  a  stewardship, 
the  donor  would  stand  in  the  relation- 
ship of  steward  or  manager  for  the 
church  of  that  which  he  formerly  pos- 
sessed, and  it  would  be  his  duty  to  place 
all  surplus  income  at  the  disposal  of  his 
bishop.  Assuming  that  he  did  so,  it  is 
doubtful  if  the  surplus  turned  in  to  the 
[Concluded  on  page  188) 

eIbid.,  IV,  p.  214-15,  December  21.  1856 
^Journal  of  Discourses,  III,  pp.  5-6   (September  16, 
1855) 

10Lorenzo  Snow,   Journal  of  Discourses,  V,  p.   565 


A  SKEPTIC 

DISCO  VERS 

Mormonism 

The  experiences,  testimony  and 
reasoning  of  a  young  convert. 

The  Gospel  Story  told  in  unusual 
style,  but  in  a  way  that  interests 
every  reader. 

A  book  you  will  like  to  read  a 
second  and  a  third  time.  It  will 
broaden  your  viewpoint  and  afford 
food  for  constructive  thinking  for 
years  to  come. 

"I  wish  all  students  of  our  high 
schools  and  colleges  could  have 
access  to  a  copy."  DAN  J.  RON- 
NOW,  Pres.,  Uvada  Stake. 

*  *     * 

"I  have  given  my  comment  on 
each  chapter  and  am  sending  a 
copy  of  your  book  to  each  of  my 
children,  nine  in  all,  to  their  vari- 
ous homes  throughout  the  country." 
A.  L,  COOK,  Tremonton.  Utah. 

*  *     * 

"I  have  found  your  book  very  in- 
teresting, and  because  it  explains 
Mormonism  in  such  an  unusual 
and  easily  understood  manner,  I 
would  like  to  see  it  in  the  home  of 
every  family  in  the  Branch.  Es- 
pecially would  I  like  a  copy  to  be 
sent  to  our  Latter-day  Saint  boys 
who  are  in  the  Armed  Forces." 
W.  C.  PARTRIDGE,  Pres.  Sheridan 
Branch  of  Western  States  Mission. 

*  *     * 

"You  have  presented  so  simply, 
in  so  beautiful  a  form  the  glorious 
truths  of  the  Gospel  I  wish  to  say, 
"Thank  You.'  Though  we  order  ex- 
tra copies  above  our  orders  we 
cannot  keep  a  copy.  Many  boys, 
sailors  about  to  depart  just  must 
have  one.  Even  theirs  are  always 
loaned  out."  MRS.  ALMA  W.  DOW, 

Vallejo,  Cal. 

*  *     * 

AN    AMBASSADOR    OF    GOOD 

WILL  that  meets  with  enthusiasm 
wherever  it  goes,  but  written  ex- 
pressly for  boys  in  the  Armed 
Forces  and  for  Missionary  work. 

*  *     * 

SOLD  ON  APPROVAL  and  guar- 
anteed to  please  or  you  may  re- 
turn it.  200  pages,  cloth  bound, 
$1.50  per  copy.  Two  or  more  copies 
to  same  address  $1.25  each. 

TIMBERLINE  RIGGS 

Overton,  Moapa  Valley,  Nevada 

m0mmmt¥mmmm0Ktmmm 

187 


The  HOT  DRINK 
for  all  the  family 


THE  CONSECRATION  MOVEMENT 


ROASTED^SOY  BEANS 
CEREALS*  FIGS*  HONEY 


Gaining  favor  through  its 


flavor  for  10  yearsY  Good 


for  you  and  GOOD,  too ! 


Vl/herever  of  hey  C^o . . 


c/o  Fleet  Post  Office 
San  Francisco,  Calif. 


Dear  Editor: 


During  the  time  which  I  spent  in 
combat,  I  can  assure  you  that  the 
Era  did  untold  wonders  in  giving 
me  courage  to  see  it  through.  It 
stood  before  me  as  a  symbol  of 
what  we  are  fighting  for — the  right 
to  live  as  we  know  to  be  correct. 

Lt.  L.  B.  Brown,  USMC 


{Concluded [com  page  187) 
bishop    would    exceed    the    tithing   or 
tenth   which   the   member   was    accus- 
tomed to  pay.    "Needs"  normally  out- 
run income. 

No  evidence  has  been  found  to  in- 
dicate that  Brigham  Young  or  any  other 
church  official  ever  issued  instructions 
concerning  its  further  disposal  to  those 
who  consecrated  their  property.  That 
some  of  those  who  consecrated  held  for 
a  time  a  different  attitude  toward  their 
possessions  from  that  previously  held 
is  evident  in  their  practice  of  including 
in  transfers  of  title  to  real  property  the 
statement  that  it  had  been  previously 
consecrated.  But  even  this  reminiscent 
allusion  was  soon  dropped  from  docu- 
ments of  transfer. 

As  an  explanation  of  the  failure  of 
President  Young  to  formulate  a  pro- 
gram for  the  control  and  use  of  con- 
secrated properties,  I  suggest: 

( 1 )  That  any  practicable  program 
would  have  had  to  recognize  the  bishops 
as  overseers  of  property  and  President 
Young  was  quick  to  see  what  might 
happen  under  weak  or  incompetent 
management. 

( 2 )  That  response  to  the  call  for  the 
consecration  of  property,  being  neither 
general  nor  whole-hearted,  made  sub- 
sequent steps  inadvisable. 

(3)  That  conflict  with  the  federal 
government  soon  came  to  occupy  all  the 
time  and  energies  of  the  church  leaders. 
A  new  type  of  consecration  was  called 
for.  Speaking  of  the  approach  of  John- 
ston's army  in  1 857  Brigham  Young 
said,  "I  suppose  a  few  have  urged  upon 
the  brethren  to  consecrate,  but  do  you 


not  see  that  we  are  coming  to  where 
the  Lord  will  make  us  consecrate?"" 

Tn  the  minds  of  those  unfamiliar  with 
the  history  of  land  titles  in  Utah  a 
question  may  arise  as  to  the  steps  taken 
to  restore  title  to  the  donors  named  in 
the  deeds  of  consecration.  The  answer 
is,  no  action  was  necessary.  Until  the 
land  laws  of  the  United  States  were 
made  applicable  to  the  Utah  Territory 
in  1869,  lands  were  held  only  by  squat- 
ter's right.  Failure  of  the  trustee-in- 
trust to  take  possession  of  the  real 
property  described  in  the  deeds  of  con- 
secration left  the  conveyors  in  exactly 
the  same  legal  position  as  before  the 
deeds  were  executed.  Titles  perfected 
under  federal  laws  in  1869  and  subse- 
quently, became  primary,  obliterating 
all  other  claims.  In  regard  to  personal 
property  like  heifers,  beds,  and  watches, 
transfers  of  title  to  the  trustee-in-trust 
did  not  interrupt  the  use  of  the  articles 
by  the  original  possessors. 

Since  the  first  step  in  the  plan  of 
consecration  was  taken  by  a  relatively 
small  number  of  the  Saints  and  the  sec- 
ond was  not  taken  at  all,  the  third  could 
not  be  observed.  Tithing  rather  than 
total  surpluses  continued  to  be  the 
chief  source  of  church  income.  But,  the 
whole  movement  for  the  observance  of 
the  principle  of  consecration  turned  out 
to  be  a  commendable  gesture  on  the 
part  of  those  who  accepted  it,  a  testi- 
mony of  their  faith  and  of  their  willing- 
ness literally  to  lay  all  they  possessed 
upon  the  altar. 

^Deseret  News,   October   18,    1857 


ARCHAEOLOGICAL  DISCOVERIES 


{Concluded  from  page  145) 
in  its  day,  as  the  book  of  Ezekiel  testi- 
fies, and  in  the  twenty-eighth  chapter 
it  is  written:  "Thou  hast  been  in  Eden 
the  garden  of  God;  every  precious  stone 
was  thy  covering,  the  sardius  (ruby), 
topaz,  and  the  diamond,  the  beryl,  the 
onyx,  and  the  jasper,  the  sapphire,  the 
emerald,  and  the  carbuncle  and  gold." 
A  peculiar  legend  assigned  to  the  dia- 
mond in  olden  times  was  that  it  quick- 
ened love  between  man  and  maid,  and 
restored  affection  between  husband  and 
wife. 

"And  above  the  firmament  that  was 
over  their  heads  was  the  likeness  of  a 
throne,  as  the  appearance  of  a  sapphire 
stone."  It  is  possible  that  the  sapphire 
is  the  oldest  stone  known.  This  jewel 
has  ever  symbolized  the  azure  of  heav- 
en. Milton  speaks  of  the  firmament 
"glowing  with  living  sapphires,"  and  in 
the  book  of  Exodus  we  read  that  when 
Moses  and  the  elders  went  up  into  the 
mountains  to  worship,  they  say  the  God 
of  Israel,  and  "there  was  under  his  feet, 
as  it  were,  a  paved  work  of  a  sapphire 
stone." 

There  are  few  things  more  remark- 
able than  the  way  in  which   Biblical 


188 


lands  that  had  at  one  time  been  su- 
preme in  the  history  of  the  world  and 
which  were  moulding  forces  of  human 
story,  passed  almost  entirely  out  of  the 
thought  and  memory  of  civilized  man. 
We  know  from  our  Bible  the  names  of 
Nineveh,  Egypt,  Babylon,  Assyria, 
Phoenicia,  Persia,  and  Arabia;  and  the 
palaces  and  hanging  gardens  of  Nebu- 
chadnezzar. These  nations  in  their  glory 
are  part  of  our  earliest  and  unforget- 
table impressions  of  history,  for  the  men 
who  wrote  the  prophecies  of  the  Old 
Testament  did  so  when  these  lands  were 
living  and  at  the  height  of  their  glory. 
They  witnessed  the  rise  and  fall  of  As- 
syria and  Babylon  and  Chaldea;  they 
knew  of  the  grandeur  and  final  ruin  of 
Tyre  and  Sidon.  "They  saw,"  as  Dr. 
James  Baike  has  so  eloquently  written, 
"the  rise  of  Babylon  under  Nebuchad- 
nezzar, and  lived  in  the  midst  of  its 
splendors  and  beheld  them  all  pass 
away."  The  prophecy  of  Isaiah  came 
to  pass  when  he  wrote:  "Babylon  the 
glory  of  kingdoms,  the  beauty  of  Chal- 
dees  excellency  shall  be  as  when  God 
overthrew  Sodom  and  Gomorrah.  It 
shall  never  be  inhabited,  neither  shall  it 
be  dwelt  in  from  generation  to  genera- 
tion." 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


CHURCH  WELFARE-AN  OPPORTUNITY 


(Continued  from  page  141 ) 
The  state  public  relief  expenditure  in 
Utah  in  1942,  when  we  were  riding  the 
crest  of  the  greatest  prosperity  boom  in 
our  history,  is  reported  to  have  been 
282%  more  than  it  was  in  1936,  when 
we  were  just  coming  out  of  the  depres- 
sion. This  ever  mounting  load,  with  a 
constantly  increasing  number  of  our 
people  looking  to  public  relief  for  sus- 
tenance, will,  unless  checked,  reach  a 
breaking  point.  And  finally,  the  Lord 
has  told  us  to  take  care  of  our  own, 
and  we  do  not  propose  to  evade  the 
commission.  The  church  welfare  plan 
affords  the  opportunity  for  us  fully  to 
discharge  it,  and  at  the  same  time  to 
combat  these  soul-  and  character-de- 
stroying practices.  The  church  welfare 
way  is,  insofar  as  may  be  possible,  for 
everyone  to  become  and  remain  self- 
sustaining,  not  only  to  a  certain  age 
but  to  the  end  of  mortal  life.  The  divine 
command  is,  "In  the  sweat  of  thy  face 
shalt  thou  eat  bread,  till  thou  return 
unto  the  ground."  (Gen.  3:19.  Italics 
added. ) 

The  Family's  Opportunity 

The  individual  having  done  what  he 
can  to  sustain  himself,  the  family  comes 
to  the  aid  of  its  own.  Long  before  the 
turn  of  the  century,  the  lawmakers  of 
Utah  wrote  into  the  statutes  of  the 
state : 

Every  poor  person  who  shall  be  unable 
to  earn  a  livelihood  in  consequence  of  any 
bodily  infirmity,  idiocy,  lunacy  or  other  un- 
avoidable cause,  shall  be  supported  by  the 
father,  grandfathers,  mother,  grandmothers, 
children,  grandchildren,  brothers  and  sisters 
of  such  poor  person,  if  they  or  any  of  them 
be  of  sufficient  ability.  (91-0-1,  Utah  Code 
Annotated,  1943,  Vol.  5,  p.  344.) 

This  law  remains  unrepealed  today.  It 
is  in  harmony  with  the  divine  command 
declared  amidst  the  thunderings  of 
Sinai,  "Honor  thy  father  and  thy  moth- 
er, that  thy  days  may  be  long  upon  the 
land  which  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth 
thee"  (Ex.  20:12),  and  reiterated  by 
the  Master.  (Mark  10:19.)  This  com- 
mand means  something  more  than  a 
pious  mouthing  of  respect  for  one's 
parents.  Compliance  therewith  requires 
the  maintenance  of  them  when  they 
stand  in  need  of  succor. 

Jesus  condemned  in  his  day  the 
scribes  and  Pharisees,  who  condoned 
the  practice  of  children  refusing  to  care 
for  their  parents  on  the  excuse  that  the 
means  of  support  within  their  control 
was  "an  intended  gift  to  God,"  charging 
them  with  thereby  making  "the  com- 
mandment of  God  of  none  effect." 
(Matt.  15:1-6;  see  Jesus  the  Christ, 
Talmage,  pp.  351-2,  and  Note  3,  pp. 
366-7.) 

Natural  love  and  affection  ought  to 
induce  us  to  render  to  our  blood  kins- 
men such  assistance  as  will  preclude 
their  becoming  objects  of  public  charity, 
whether  that  assistance  be  the  neces- 
sities of  life  or  understanding,  sym- 
pathetic encouragement  and  counsel,  or 

.MARCH,  1944 


both.  Surely  family  pride  and  honor 
will  prevent  our  turning  our  loved  ones 
out  upon  public  welfare  charities  to  be 
cared  for  by  strangers  and  political 
hirelings. 

Paul,  the  apostle,  writing  to  Timothy, 
said: 

...  if  any  provide  not  for  his  own,  and 
specially  for  those  of  his  own  house,  he 
hath  denied  the  faith,  and  is  worse  than  an 
infidel.    (I  Tim.  5:8.) 

The  Priesthood  Quorums 

Hp'HE  priesthood  groups  have  a  great 
A  opportunity  in  the  rehabilitation 
phase  of  this  welfare  work.  Take  an 
elders'  quorum  for  example — ninety-six 
men  bound  together  as  a  fraternal  unit 
in  God's  perfect  scheme  of  government, 
each  holding  the  priesthood  of  the  living 
God  and  each  aglow  with  a  fraternal 
love  and  interest  in  every  other  member 
of  his  quorum.  When  one  or  more  of 
the  ninety-six  are  in  distress,  how  easy 
it  would  be  for  the  other  ninety  odd  to 
carry  the  load  until  the  distressed  are 
back  on  their  feet  through  the  help  of 
all.  It  is  not  the  place  of  the  quorum  to 
substitute  for  the  bishop  in  the  store- 
house program.  Its  function  is  to  re- 
habilitate distressed  quorum  members 
by  providing  means  and  guidance  to 
make  them  self-sustaining,  as  also  to 
raise  the  living  standard  of  members 
having  but  a  meager  sustenance  by  im- 
proving their  earning  capacity.  Once  a 
quorum  member  has  felt  the  interest  of 
his  brethren  in  this  manner,  his  alle- 
giance to  the  quorum  may  thereafter  be 
depended  upon. 

The  Bishop's  Storehouse  Program 

Finally — and  as  a  sequence  to  what 
has  above  been  written  with  reference 
to  the  individual,  the  family,  and  the 
priesthood  quorum — through  the  bish- 
ops' storehouse  program,  the  welfare 
plan  provides  the  opportunity  for  every 
church  member,  who  will  accept  it  and 
in  the  spirit  thereof  participate  therein, 
to  become  self-sustaining  within  the 
program  itself  until  he  can  be  employed 
in  private  industry  or  established  in  his 
own  business.  This  is  done  by  develop- 
ing welfare  projects  where  each  person 
may  receive  employment  suited  to  his 
capacity.  The  production,  preserva- 
tion and  distribution  of  the  annual 
church  welfare  budget  affords  the  op- 
portunity for  the  establishment  of  such 
a  wide  variety  of  these  projects  as  to 
provide  employment  for  almost  every 
person  capable  of  doing  any  kind  of 
work.  In  instances  where  needed  em- 
ployment cannot  be  thus  supplied,  other 
projects  are  to  be  developed,  so  that 
everyone  in  the  program  may  be  em- 
ployed. 

By  the  efforts  of  all,  life's  necessities 
for  all  will  be  made  available,  and  each 
participating  person  will  be  in  fact  self- 
sustaining.  His  needs  in  cash  and  com- 
modities, as  determined  by  himself  and 
his  bishop,  with  the  help  and  advice  of 
( Continued  on  page  1 90 ) 


During  the  current  war,  the 
Salt  Lake  Tribune  acknowl- 
edges with  pride  the  cita- 
tions it  has  received  for  its 
contributions  to  the  war  ef- 
fort. In  addition  to  its  com- 
plete presentation  of  the 
news,  the  Salt  Lake  Tribune 
has  devoted  as  much  as  30 
per  cent  of  its  space  to  the 
great  public  appeals  of 
wartime. 

Scores  of  letters  from  its 
readers  voice  appreciation 
for  this  great  public  service. 
The  armed  forces,  the  Treas- 
ury Department  have  add- 
ed their  official  commenda- 
tion for  extraordinary  aid. 

In  these  acknowledgments, 
the  Salt  Lake  Tribune  finds 
adequate  compensation  for 
a  service  performed  in  rec- 
ognition and  acceptance  of 
its  community  and  patriotic 
responsibility. 


'T^HIS  month  we  are  asked  to  con- 
tribute our  share  to  the  two  hun- 
dred million  dollar  Red  Cross  War 
Fund.  This  means  you,  me — every- 
one! Today  there  are  nearly  eleven 
million  men  wearing  khaki  or  blue — 
men  that  only  the  Red  Cross  can 
watch  over  in  emergencies.  Could 
you  deny  them  the  care  they  so  rich- 
ly deserve?  Give  generously  to  the 
Red  Cross  War  Fundi 

This  Advertisement  Is  A 
Contribution  to  Victory  by  the 


CHURCH  WELFARE-AN  OPPORTUNITY 


{Continued  from  page  189) 
the  ward  Relief  Society  president,  will 
be  supplied  from  the  fast  funds  and  the 
bishops'  storehouse,  which  the  recipient 
himself  has  helped  to  produce.  Should 
he  live  beyond  his  years  of  actual  pro- 
duction, his  record  of  loyal  service  will 
entitle  him  to  the  continued  care  and 
tender  solicitude  of  his  brethren  and 
sisters  in  the  fold  of  Christ.  They  will 
not  fail  him  in  life,  and  in  death  he  shall 
not  be  forgotten. 


A 


Catching  the  Vision 

ll  over  the  church,  men  and  women 
are  catching  the  vision  of  the  op- 
portunities afforded  by  church  welfare. 
Many  persons  are  able  to  care  for  them- 
selves who  have  accepted  public  gratui- 
ties solely  because  they  have  been 
taught  that  they  are  entitled  to  them. 
Some  members  of  this  group,  under  the 
influence  and  in  the  spirit  of  the  welfare 
plan,  are  giving  up  the  dole  and  experi- 
encing joy  and  happiness  in  their  re- 
turn to  independence.  One  brother  ex- 
pressed himself  as  feeling  that  he  could 
again  take  his  place  as  a  man  among 
men. 

An  increasing  number  of  families  are 
caring  for  their  own.  Early  in  Decem- 
ber 1943,  we  learned  of  two  sons  who 
induced  a  county  welfare  board  to  re- 
fuse to  grant  their  mother  "old  age  as- 
sistance." She  desired  to  relieve  them 
of  the  burden  of  caring  for  her,  but  they 
preferred  to  honor  her  in  her  declining 
years. 

We  know  of  another  case  where  the 
members  of  a  rather  large  family,  all  of 
whom  are  in  very  ordinary  circum- 
stances and  widely  scattered  through- 
out the  United  States,  have  for  years 
contributed  the  necessary  part  of  their 
mother's  living  by  each  sending  to  the 
eldest  brother  small  monthly  allow- 
ances. On  no  occasion  has  one  of  them 
been  asked  for  his  portion,  and  scarce- 
ly ever  has  one  failed  to  send  it. 

A  report  compiled  early  in  1943 
showed  that  largely  through  Melchize- 
dek  priesthood  quorum  activities  some 
471  families  have  been  made  self-sus- 
taining by  the  help  of  their  brethren. 
Included  were  farmers,  barbers,  tailors, 
cabinet  makers,  grocers,  cobblers,  print- 
ers, mechanics,  photographers,  laborers, 
bakers  and  truckers.  The  following 
incidents  will  illustrate  the  methods 
used. 

A  tailor  was  without  work  and  with- 
out capital.  The  members  of  his  quo- 
rum each  advanced  $10.00  and  accepted 
repayment  in  services.  The  money  thus 
raised  set  him  up  in  business.  The  rec- 
ommendations of  his  brethren,  together 
with  his  competent  services,  brought 
him  work.  He  now  earns  a  comfortable 
living  and  has  completely  repaid  the 
loan. 

In  another  quorum,  a  member  was 
about  to  have  the  mortgage  on  his  farm 
foreclosed.  An  investigation  by  a  com- 
mittee from  his  quorum  revealed  that  he 
had  overextended  himself  in  the  pur- 


chase of  land,  machinery,  and  livestock, 
and  that  his  farming  methods  were  not 
the  best.  With  the  help  of  the  commit- 
tee, he  revamped  his  program.  Some  of 
the  machinery  was  returned  for  the  debt 
against  it,  and  in  its  place  machinery 
belonging  to  quorum  members  was 
made  available  to  him.  Some  of  the 
livestock  was  sold.  Enough  financial 
assistance  was  rendered  from  quorum 
funds  to  secure  an  extension  of  time 
from  his  creditors.  With  the  help  of  his 
advisers  he  improved  his  farming  meth- 
ods. Today  he  is  a  prosperous  man, 
almost  out  of  debt. 

In  another  elders'  quorum,  the  family 
of  an  untrained  common  laborer  was  in 
constant  need  because  he  had  intermit- 
tent work  only.  His  quorum,  seeking  a 
permanent  solution  to  his  problem, 
paid  the  tuition  and  sent  him  to  a  trade 
school.  The  bishop  cooperated  and, 
from  fast  funds  and  the  bishops'  store- 
house, cared  for  the  family.  He  finished 
his  school  a  skilled  craftsman  and,  with 
the  whole  quorum  constituting  an  active 
employment  committee,  was  soon 
placed  in  profitable  employment.  He 
has  since  been  wholly  self-sustaining. 

In  the  budget  production  and  bish- 
ops' storehouse  program,  opportunities 
for  work  have  been  afforded  on  each 
of  more  than  405  agricultural,  600  live- 
stock, and  95  manufacturing  and  proc- 
essing projects. 

One  stake  with  a  membership  of  but 
1,231  raised,  in  1943,  $3,300.00  with 
which  they  acquired  100  acres  of  land 
with  an  adequate  water  right,  to  be  op- 
erated as  a  welfare  project  for  the  pro- 
duction of  the  stake's  part  of  the  budget 
and  to  provide  employment  for  par- 
ticipators in  the  welfare  program. 

In  another  stake  of  approximately 
3,000  population,  in  addition  to  operat- 
ing five  agricultural  welfare  projects,  a 
campaign  was  carried  on  during  1943  to 
raise  $12,000.00  with  which  to  acquire 
land  on  which  to  place  church  members 
when  they  return  unemployed  from  the 
armed  forces  and  the  war  industries. 

We  call  to  mind  one  bishop  who, 
having  caught  the  vision  of  church  wel- 
fare, has  already  taken  five  members 
from  "old  age  assistance"  and  made 
them  self-sustaining  within  the  welfare 
plan. 

New,  Yet  Old 

/^hurch  welfare  is  new,  yet  old.  It 
^  was  in  1936  that  the  first  presidency, 
under  the  inspiration  of  the  Almighty, 
organized  the  general  church  welfare 
committee,  authorized  the  organization 
of  stakes  into  regions,  and  directed  the 
setting  up  of  what  has  come  to  be 
known  as  the  church  welfare  plan.  The 
underlying  principles  and  objectives, 
however,  are  new  only  in  the  sense  that 
each  principle  of  the  gospel  is  new  to 
a  person  when  he  first  discovers  it. 
They  must  have  been  taught  by  Jesus 
to  his  apostles  in  the  meridian  of  time, 
for  shortly  after  his  crucifixion  they  put 
them  into  practice  (Acts  4:32-35) ,  and 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


CHURCH  WELFARE-AN  OPPORTUNITY 


to  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  the  Lord 
revealed  them.  ( See  D.  &  C.  sections  42, 
51,  70,  78,  82,  83,  85,  90,  92,  96,  and 
104.) 

On  the  two  occasions  when  upon  this 
earth  men  have  come  nearest  to  living 
the  gospel  in  its  fulness,  the  objectives 
have  been  reached. 

The  first  occasion  was  in  the  days  of 
Enoch : 

The  Lord  came  and  dwelt  with  his  people 
and  they  dwelt  in  righteousness.  And  the 
Lord  blessed  the  land,  and  they  were  blessed 
upon  the  mountains,  and  upon  the  high 
places,  and  did  flourish.  And  the  Lord  called 
his  people  Zion,  because  they  were  of  one 
heart  and  one  mind,  and  dwelt  in  righteous- 
ness; and  there  was  no  poor  among  them. 
(Moses  7:15-18.) 

The  second  occasion  was  during  the 
first  and  second  centuries  of  the  Chris- 
tian era,  following  the  personal  ministry 
of  the  resurrected  Jesus  among  the 
Nephites.  Of  that  occasion  the  record 
says: 


They  had  all  things  common  among  them; 
therefore  there  were  not  rich  and  poor,  bond 
and  free,  but  they  were  all  made  free,  and 
partakers  of  the  heavenly  gift.  (IV  Nephi 
3.) 

It  is  the  mission  of  the  church  in  this 
last  dispensation  to  develop  another 
people  who  shall  live  the  gospel  in  its 
fulness.  They  are  to  establish  a  new 
Zion,  and  they  shall  flourish  and  be 
blessed  upon  the  mountains  and  upon 
the  high  places.  They  shall  be  the 
Lord's  people,  and  he  shall  call  them 
Zion.  They  shall  walk  with  God  be- 
cause they  shall  be  of  one  heart  and  one 
mind,  and  they  shall  dwell  in  righteous- 
ness and  there  shall  be  no  poor  among 
them. 

The  welfare  plans  is  one  of  the  ave- 
nues along  which  the  church  is  moving 
toward  its  glorious  goal.  God  help  us 
to  see  in  it  the  opportunities  to  obey  the 
divine  command,  "Thou  shalt  love  thy 
neighbor  as  thyself." 


EVIDENCES  AND  RECONCILIATIONS 


[Concluded  from  page  161 ) 
do  not  abrogate  man's  free  agency.  In- 
stead, they  are  really  statements  of 
cause  and  effect.  They  are  laws  based 
upon  eternal  relationships  of  universal 
forces,  which,  if  obeyed,  lead  men  into 
eternal  joy. 

Divine  commandments  exemplify  the 
relationship  between  man  and  God. 
Man  is  under  the  watchful  care  of  his 
Father.  Since,  under  the  plan,  man  is 
on  earth  with  limited  senses,  God  lights 
the  way  to  joy  with  knowledge  beyond 
the  unaided  capacity  of  man.  In  that 
spirit  the  commandments  of  God  should 
be  viewed. 

Many  divine  commandments  are  not 
fully  understood  by  man.  For  example, 
why  is  baptism  the  necessary  form  of 
obedience  to  win  entrance  into  the 
church  of  Christ?  The  symbolism  we 
may  comprehend  in  part;  but  why  this 
method  rather  than  another  should  have 
been  chosen,  must  remain,  for  the  pres- 
ent, in  the  divine  mind.  Therefore,  in 
dealing  with  laws  of  God,  faith  must 
be  used.  But  no  commandment  of  God 
requires  a  blind  faith.  A  faith  built  in- 
telligently accepts  commandments,  or 
laws  of  God,  on  the  basis  of  established 
knowledge  and  experience. 

Every  word,  commandment,  or  law 
issuing  from  God  roots  in  the  divine 
plan  for  man's  endless  joy  and  develop- 
ment. They  are  for  man's  good.  Mod- 
ern revelation  has  made  the  matter 
clear:  "My  commandments  are  spirit- 
ual; they  are  not  natural  nor  temporal, 
neither  carnal  nor  sensual."  (D.  &  C. 
29:35.)  The  commandments  of  God 
must  ever  be  viewed  with  reference  to 
the  plan  of  salvation  for  humankind. 

However  we  may  classify  the  laws 
under  which  we  live,  natural  or  human, 
they  all  proceed,  if  founded  in  truth, 

MARCH,  1944 


from  God.  Such  laws  have  the  divine 
stamp.  All  such  laws  together  compose 
the  orderly  system  under  which  we  may 
win  the  happiness  of  progress.  The 
commandments  issuing  from  the  mouth 
of  God  are  laws  for  human  welfare  into 
which  all  other  laws,  natural  or  man- 
made,  may  be  fitted.  Contrariwise,  any 
law  which  does  not  contribute  to  man's 
permanent  joy  is  of  the  evil  one. 

Conformity  to  law,  whether  natural, 
human,  or  divine,  makes  allies  of  all 
universal  forces,  and  brings  freedom  to 
man.  A  man  may  conform  to  natural 
law  and  confine  the  roaring  mountain 
stream  and  make  it  pass  through  a  dy- 
namo to  light  his  home  and  run  his  ma- 
chines. There  is  no  other  true  freedom 
than  that  which  comes  from  obedience 
to  law.  Opposition  to  law,  on  the  other 
hand,  however  small,  brings  partial  or 
complete  destruction.  Certainly  he  will 
be  in  bondage  and  lose  his  freedom.  He 
may  stand  in  the  way  of  the  moving 
locomotive,  but  will  be  run  over  to  his 
death. 

All  this  has  been  well  set  forth  in 
sacred  writings: 

Ye  shall  know  the  truth,  and  the  truth 
shall  make  you  free.    (John  8:32.) 

And  again,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  that 
which  is  governed  by  law  is  also  preserved 
by  law  and  perfected  and  sanctified  by  the 
same.  That  which  breaketh  a  law,  and 
abideth  not  by  law,  but  seeketh  to  become 
a  law  unto  itself,  and  willeth  to  abide  in  sin, 
and  altogether  abideth  in  sin,  cannot  be 
sanctified  by  law,  neither  by  mercy,  justice, 
nor  judgment.  Therefore,  they  must  remain 
filthy  still.    (D.GC.  88:34-35.) 

At  last  when  the  promise  of  the  ages 
has  been  consummated, 

...  the  Lord  shall  be  in  their  midst,  and  his 
glory  shall  be  upon  them,  and  he  will  be 
their  king  and  their  lawgiver.  (D.  &  C.  45: 
59.) 


Brighcrm  Young  the  Colonizer, 
by  Dr.  Milton  R.  Hunter,  is  a  vi- 
vid, inspiring  account  of  the 
Mormon  period  of  empire  build- 
ing. Here's  a  book  you'll  want 
to  read  till  the  last  page  is  fin- 
ished. 


In  the  following  list,  check  the  books  you 
want  for  your  home  library,  fill  out  the  coupon, 
and  mail  this  advertisement  to  us.  Your  order 
will  be  shipped  to  you  promptly. 

□  The  Gospel  Kingdom $2.25 

By  John  Taylor 

□  The  Gay  Saint _ $2.50 

By  Paul  Bailey 

D  Sam    Brannan    and    the    California    Mor- 
mons     „ $1.75 

By  Paul  Bailey 
D  For  This  My  Glory _ _ $2.50 

By  Paul  Bailey 

□  This  Day  and  Always „ i. $1.50 

By  Richard  L.  Evans 

□  Unto  the  Hills  $1.50 

By  Richard  L.  Evans 

□  Gospel   Standards  $2.25 

By  Heber  J.  Grant 

□  In  the  Gospel  Net  $1.25 

By  John  A.  Widtsoe 

D  Evidences   and  Reconciliations  _ J  1.85 

By  John  A.  Widtsoe 

□  Signs  of  the  Times  „ $1.25 

By  Joseph  Fielding  Smith 

□  Way   to   Perfection   _ $1.25 

By  Joseph  Fielding  Smith 

□  Brigham  Young  the   Colonizer  $3.00 

By  Dr.  Milton  R.  Hunter 


ORDER  NOW  WHILE  STOCKS  ARE 
AVAILABLE 

THE  BOOKCRAFT  CO. 

1465  South  State,  Salt  Lake  City  4,  Utah 
Please  send  the  books  checked  above. 

□  $ Check   or  money   order 

enclosed. 

□  Please  send  C.O.D. 

NAME    

ADDRESS     

Tour  orders  will  receive  immediate  attention. 


Your 


and 


Red  Cross  Appeal 

During  March  the  American  Red  Cross  will  raise  its  1944 
War  Fund.  A  goal  of  $200,000,000  has  been  set.  This 
must  be  met  if  the  Red  Cross  is  to  continue  its  work  on  an 
undiminished  scale.  Let's  give! 

Patriotism 

Sergeant:  "So,  you  complain  about  finding  sand  in  your 
soup,  eh?" 

Rookie:    "Yes,  sir." 

Sergeant:  "Did  you  join  the  army  to  serve  your  country,  or 
to  complain  about  the  soup?" 

Rookie:    "To  serve  my  country,  sir — not  to  eat  it!" 

$ 

Eureka,  Utah 
Dear  Editors: 

WE  can  always    find   material   for  special   assignments   in 
church  activities  within  the  pages  of  the  Era. 

Leona  T.  Witt 
$ 

Avalon,  Catalina  Island 
Dear  Editors: 

A  boy  from  the  church  of  the  Latter-day  Saints  handed  me 
the  February,  1943,  copy  of  The  Improvement  Era  so  that 
I  might  read  the  article  by  Hugh  B.  Brown,  entitled,  "To  the 
Girls  Behind  the  Men  Behind  the  Guns." 

I  want  to  express  my  high  respect  for  the  writer  and  his 
article.  The  message  was  right  to  the  point  and  persuasively 
written.  Such  a  message  ought  to  be  in  every  church  paper; 
yes,  in  the  magazines  of  national  coverage. 

May  I  suggest  putting  that  article  in  tract  form  and  making 
it  available  for  girls  everywhere.  [This  was  done  some  months 
ago.  Ed.] 

Laurain  M.  Wahlquist 

Chaplain  U.S.M.S. 

<$, 

Prince  Rupert,  B.C., 
Dear  Editors:  Canada 

I  have  just  read  the  conference  number  of  the  Era  and  I  just 
had  to  express  my  gratitude  to  those  who  have  worked  so 
hard  to  make  this  magazine. 

I  am  grateful  to  the  members  of  the  Toronto  Branch  for  their 
thoughtfulness  in  sending,  not  only  to  me  but  to  others,  who 
are  in  the  service,  the  spiritual  guidance  found  in  the  Era.  It 
is  just  the  same  as  receiving  a  letter  from  each  member  person- 
ally and  it  has  been  a  source  of  pleasure  as  well  as  giving  me 
fargreater  strength  to  try  to  live  as  God  would  have  us  live. 

The  church  truly  anticipates  the  needs  of  each  and  every 
one  of  us. 

Your  brother, 

Russell  Davies,  G.N.R. 


-$- 


Dear  Editors: 

The  pictures  and  associated  articles  appearing  in  your  maga- 
zine showing  service  men  holding  meetings  and  enjoying 
a  spirit  of  fraternity  might  lead  some  to  believe  all  our  boys 
have  the  opportunity  for  worship  and  fellowship  if  they  desire. 
While  such  a  condition  would  be  ideal  it  cannot  be,  due  to  the 
demands  of  a  global  war.  Personally,  the  last  Mormon  service 
I  attended  was  thirteen  months  ago  in  the  City  of  Brisbane, 
Australia.  Since  then,  as  far  as  I  can  determine,  I  have  not  met 
a  single  member  of  our  church. 

As  the  Era  has  been  about  the  only  contact  with  the  church 
during  all  this  time,  perhaps  you  can  realize  why  it  means  so 
much  to  me.  Someone  has  said,  in  effect,  "We  need  not  so  much 
to  be  taught  as  to  be  reminded."  Your  splendid  magazine  is 
my  monthly  reminder  of  the  blessings  in  store  for  all  faithful 
Latter-day  Saints.  I  feel  sure  that  thousands  of  others  must 
feel  this  way. 

Sincerely, 

T/Sgt.  Grant  P.  Grandy 


Q 


,**Bmm% 


Ovid,  Idaho 
Dear  Editors: 

I  will  be  seventy-six  in  June  and  read  the  Era  since  its  first 
issue. 

Mrs.  Emma  W.  Porter 


-#- 


Dear  Editors: 


Los  Angeles,  California 


WE  enjoy  the  .Era  and  hope  it  continues  to  play  the  impor- 
tant role  of  bringing  church  leaders  into  our  home,  from 
this  time  forth.  Since  I  was  a  very  small  boy  there  have  been 
few  issues  of  the  Bra  I  have  missed.  I  remember  finding  several 
years'  issues  in  a  barrel  in  Grandfather's  attic  storeroom  when 
I  was  a  lad,  and  of  sitting  up  there  day  after  day,  by  the  single 
window,  perusing  them,  reading  "The  Voice  of  the  Intangible" 
and  other  serials  and  short  stories.  Those  issues  helped  to  mold 
my  love  for  church  literature,  and  I  have  never  forgotten  them. 

Cordially  yours, 

Weston  N.  Nordgren 
<$> 


Exemplary  Conduct 

Life  begins  at  40,  and  so  do  fallen  arches,  lumbago,  bad 
eyesight,  and  the  tendency  to  tell  a  story  to  the  same  person 
three  or  four  times. 

Risky  Landing 

"It  must  be  wonderful  to  be  a  parachute  jumper.  I  suppose 
you've  had  some  terrible  experiences?" 

"Yes,  miss,  terrible.  Why,  once  I  came  down  where  there 
was  a  sign,  'Keep  off  the  grass.'  " 

As  Advertised 

"Griggs  and  his  wife  are  not  getting  along  very  smoothly, 
I  hear,"  said  Brown  to  Smith. 

"No,"  replied  Smith,  "and  you  can't  wonder  at  it.  He  married 
a  girl  that  looked  like  a  magazine  cover,  and  then  expected  her 
to  work  like  a  cookbook." 


192 


THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


WHO  will  you  sell  to 
...when  it's  over? 


Do  you  see  today's  "seller's  market"  as  an  opportunity 
to  make  the  best  possible  selling  connections  both  now 
and  for  the  years  ahead?  In  line  with  this  thought,  you'll 
be  interested  in  how  we  Safeway  people  do  business . . . 


AS  YOU  LIKELY  KNOW,  we 
J^X  Safeway  people  are  retail 
grocers — who  started  out  in  a 
small  way  and  have  grown  to 
serve  consumers  in  24  states 
and  5  Canadian  provinces. 


This  means  we  need  a  large 
volume  of  farm  products  to 
sell  in  our  stores.  Moreover, 
close  to  a  third  of  all  our 
customers  are  farmers.  Both 
as  producers  and  customers, 
you  farmers  are  mighty  im- 
portant to  us.  You  always 
have  been,  and  always  will  be. 

In  1938  we  published  Our 
Pledge  in  Farm  Marketing. 
Here's  the  gist  of  what  we 
said  then — it's  still  our  farm 

policy  today. 

1 .  We  don't  own  or  operate  any 
farms— or  compete  with  farm- 
ers in  the  production  of  agri- 
cultural products. 

2 .We  buy  regularly.  We  never 
speculate  in  farm  products  or 
"stay  off  the  market"  in  an 
attempt  to  get  better  prices. 

3.  We  don't  subsidize.  We've  nev- 
er believed  in  the  practise  of 
financing  certain  farmers  and 
Using  this  to  force  prices  down. 


4.  We  are  opposed  to  using  farm 
products  as  "loss  leaders -that 
is,  selling  them  below  cost  to 
lure  customers  into  the  store. 

5 .We  consistently  pay  farmers 
as  much  or  more  for  their 
products  than  they  can  get 
elsewhere. 

An  improved  buying  set- 
up for  1944 

You'll  be  interested  in  a  recent 
step  we've  taken  to  further 
streamline  buying  operations. 

Under  our  new  plan,  we've 
separated  buying  and  distrib- 
uting functions.  Each  of  our 
buying  divisions,  now  identi- 


fied by  a  distinctive  company 
name — such  as  Easwest  Prod- 
uce Co.,  Interstate  Egg  Co., 
Superior  Cheese  Co.,  and  so  on 
— specializes  in  buying  certain 
kinds  of  farm  products  for  us. 

These  companies  buy  exclu- 
sively for  Safeway  retail  stores. 
They  follow  the  Safeway  pol- 
icies you've  just  read  above. 
They  don't  collect  commissions, 
allowances  or  brokerage. 

The  regional  offices  of  these 
various  Safeway  buying  com- 
panies are  being  spread  over 

LAY  AWAY  A  BOND  TODAY 


the  country  to  give  producers 
close  personal  contact  with  our 
buyers.  And  in  many  cases 
these  companies  are  operating 
local  receiving  and  packing 
sheds  ■ —  so  you  can  deliver  in 
smaller  quantities  instead  of 
having  to  ship  in  carlots. 


Why  we  can  afford  to  pay 
top  prices  always 

Our  ability  to  pay  the  producer 
top  prices  is  due  to  the  Safe- 
way method  itself.  For  27  years 
we  Safeway  people  have  been 
simplifying  and  improving 
methods  of  distributing  foods. 
We  have  cut  out  unnecessary 
steps  and  needless  expenses  in 
getting  foods  from  producer  to 
consumer.  This  greater  effi- 
ciency has  saved  money  to  ben- 
efit grower  and  consumer  alike. 

Today  the  more  efficient 
Safeway  food  distribution  sys- 
tem is  a  great  national  asset. 
In  war  or  peace,  everybody 
benefits  by  the  straightest  pos- 
sible road  to  market. 

Think  it  over.  We  believe 
you'll  find  it  will  pay  you  to  do 
business  with  Safeway  today 
and  for  the  long  haul. 

SAFEWAY 

The  neighborhood  grocery  stores 


<" 


I    Rill 


In  a  world  of  plunging  unrest— 
in  storm,  wind,  and  darkness  — 
the  lighthouse  stands  firm/  its 
foundations  bedded  deep  in  the 
rock. 

When  life's  storms  are  at  their 
worst,  insurance  is  the  dependable 
source  of  protection  against  poverty 
and  want 


msS0^x 


:.:<:   ^'■'■wm>w". 


funwii* 


iiiiMMei/^ 


Heber  J.  Grant,  Pres. 


fill 


Salt  Lake  City.  Utah